Beast of Burden
by Dianatyne
Summary: A new DADA Professor reluctantly returns to Hogwarts and must face the life and the one person she left behind. Originally written after GOF. R&R, SSOC.
1. Default Chapter

**::Disclaimer and other things I feel obligated to say::**

**It seems I have must have a disclaimer – ok, well, I don't own any of the characters, except the own I made, and even that's questionable because I swear she just sorta showed up and wrote herself.  This story was posted once a long time ago after a failed experiment involving a doomed relationship and a steady availability of cheap boxed red wine.  So if you've read this before then thumbs up to you! But feel free to read it again as a lot of things will be changing. But of all have fun and enjoy. - _D_**

**Going Home**

Her leather jacket snapped loudly in the harsh wind. _Damnable subways,_ she thought to herself as the 6 train sped off into the underground darkness.  She quickly stepped her way out of the subway station and on to Lexington Ave. Her apartment was only a block away.

She picked up her mail in the same way she always did, placing the bills on the bottom and the underwear catalogs on the top. She laughed at the ridiculous girl on the cover of her Frederick's of Hollywood mailing. Staring up at her sat a curvy dark haired temptress in a showy witch costume complete with a broomstick French-tickler and pointy hat.

Fifteen stories later and with no one looking, the woman snapped her free fingers and the door to her tiny loft lodgings open. "Damnable elevators," she said to herself as she dropped her keys and mail on the couch.  She removed her fitting leather jacket. The weather had only recently begun to cool. It reminded her of home.

With her things neatly tousled about her living room floor, she entered the kitchen and helped herself to a cup of ready-made coffee.  The cream and sugar poured and stirred themselves into what she considered to be the perfect cup of joe. The correct spell had taken years to perfect.

"So I've seen you given up tea, have you, Maylin?"

Maylin turned. "I know that voice," she said with a slight cackle. "I know it well, Sir."

Maylin turned slowly to find the hidden and familiar voice. Her eyes swept over her apartment. Not in the kitchen, not in the living room nor did it come from the tiny side bathroom.

"I'm over here," called the voice. "Look hard, my Dear."

Beyond the living room in the dining room there sat and old chest of drawers with an antique mirror. Within the mirror sat a kindly gentleman. By muggle standards he was old, frail and possibly eccentric with his colorful robe and half-moon glasses.

"Albus Dumbledore, Darling, how are you?"

Maylin pulled the closest chair to the mirror and sat facing the old wizard.

"I am as well as an old man can be," said Dumbledore.

"Would it kill you dear, to give a straight answer?" she asked in jest.

"Kill me, no, I fear it would not, but what then I ask would be the fun straight answers," the man in the mirror smiled. "Besides, my answers are art and take great time to perfect, much like your coffee spell I'm sure."

Maylin laughed, "I'll give you that, Sir, I'll give you that, may I interest you in a cup before I inquire as to why you are here?"

"Please, Dear, that would be lovely."

Maylin rose from her seat and stepped lightly to the kitchen. 'Dumbledore,' she thought. 'Must be serious.'

Maylin returned with a small mug, on the side was the emblem for the Hogwart's School of Wizardry. As she approached the window she waved her wand and muttered a single phrase, _Abramus__ Reflectus. _The mirror wobbled a moment as the portal opened. Maylin handed him the cup through the mirror and returned to her seat.

"So, then Sir, why the visit? Demons in the plumbing?" asked Maylin only half joking.

"No, my Dear, we've had that problem already taken care of as I'm sure you've heard," said Dumbledore. "I was wondering how felt about your current position in life."

"I think sitting down suits me though I've been told I do a hell of a strut."

"You jest, Dear Maylin, but I am quite serious I assure you." And he was. Maylin also knew that voice. She has heard it many times before when trouble had arisen at Hogwarts.

"I offer you a position," Dumbledore continued. "It seems that only a few days into the semester and yet again the professorship for Defense Against the Dark Arts has reopened at Hogwarts."

Maylin's world stopped.

"Hogwarts? Professor, I…hmm. You mean for me to teach students, little people, how to fend off fairies?"

"I was thinking perhaps larger creatures, but fairies are as good a place to start as any other." Dumbledore smiled. "I know it's a lot to ask on such short notice, I hear you rather prefer the States."

Maylin thought for a moment. She had won an important position in the American Division of the Ministry of Magic as the European Ambassador in dealing with the Dark Arts. There were many things for her left to sort out. Dark Lords seemed to arise at every moments glance. Innocent people with no concept of their magical abilities leveling towns, sick with uncontrolled magic. America was incredibly behind in its magical arts.

"Why me?" she asked.

"We at the school feel you are the most qualified."

Again Maylin took her time, she knew she had to choose her words well, there was something more to this. "Does Severus feel I am the most qualified as well?"

She closed her eyes as she waited for a response. Dumbledore looked at her intently through the mirror. "First, my Dear, please open your eyes, I am no longer your Professor." Maylin complied. "And secondly, do not concern yourself with what Severus believes of you. He was not consulted on this matter, and he will not be consulted." Maylin knew this was because Severus Snape the Potions Professor would never willingly let her within a hundred miles of him, let alone allow her to a position he has so craved for years.

"He's the best you know, all things considered," said Maylin.

"If by best, you mean best Potions instructor Hogwarts has ever had…then yes, you would be wholly correct." Dumbledore would not give in to why she was really needed. An uneasiness filled Maylin. _Severus__ is the best, and even he has no idea Dumbledore is speaking with me, my God what kind of mess have these people gotten themselves into?'_

"There is no mess, my Dear," said Dumbledore aloud.

Maylin looked at him straight.

"There is always a mess, or else you wouldn't be teacherless so early on." Maylin could be just as forceful as her old schoolmaster.

Dumbledore sorted his words patiently. "I will tell you but this, come to Hogwarts and see for yourself the changes. Perhaps the mess is simply that we have found nothing to be worried about."

"At Hogwarts?" replied Maylin. "My God, that is troublesome."

"Can you be here by Sunday night?"

Maylin shook her head, "I haven't signed on to this yet, you know."

Dumbledore smiled. "Sunday then, I will alert the Ministry, thank you for the coffee." The he was gone.

Maylin sighed. _Hogwarts_, she thought. _This will only end badly._

Maylin walked into the kitchen and placed her empty cup on the counter. Next to the sink there was an envelope. She picked up the letter, on the back was the Hogwarts seal. She opened it carefully and read aloud.

_Maylin,_

_I so look forward to working with you again. I will send for all of your things to be brought to Hogwarts by Sunday evening. And for your knowledge, your coffee spell is by far the most delightful of all those who have tried. All my best, I will see you Sunday._

_Albus__ Dumbledore_

"The bastard took my cup."

"I heard that dear," said a distant voice.

"I know."


	2. Opening Night

**Opening Night**

It was Sunday night at Hogwarts. The main banquet was lit to the brim with a soft golden tint.  The high windows were brightly flushed in the moonlight.  Four long tables stretched across the length of the hall. Seated around them, the students of Hogwarts laughed and ate furiously. Three young people in particular huddled together and quietly discussed the empty seat at teacher's table.

"I heard Professor Squire simply upped and vanished, no one's seen him since," said the redheaded Ron Weasley. "That's silly," chimed in Hermione Granger. "No one just vanishes, even around here that's absolutely absurd." With a twitch of her nose she returned to her creamed potatoes.

"But still, if you're so smart then you tell me where he's off too." Ron was in no mood to deal with even the slightest haughtiness from one Miss Granger. 

"Perhaps he's on holiday and will be back later this evening, Harry what do you think?" Herman pointed her butter knife in the direction of the third student.

"I surely don't think he's on any kind of holiday, the semester has just begun." Harry Potter adjusted his glasses and placed his fork on his plate.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he just vanished; stranger things have happen to Dark Arts Professors." Harry had a point that even Hermione couldn't ignore.

While it was one of the most sought after positions in the entire magical world, Defense Against the Dark Arts professors had a habit of only teaching on a quite limited term.

At the front of the room sat the Hogwarts staff. In the center sat Professor Albus Dumbledore, beside him Professor McGonagall, head of Griffyndor House. Next to her looking as foul as ever was Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master.

Snape looked over the crowd of students, his eyes dark and stern. He was by now with a single glance able to pick out the students he disliked and hated even more.

He quickly noticed the three young Griffyndors plotting at the far table. _No doubt they're chattering about the empty seat_, he thought_. Why must they be so damn meddlesome so early on in the year?  _

But even still Snape himself couldn't refuse the thought. What had happened to Professor Squire? Snape shook his head slightly and silently lifted his wine glass.

At the center of the table, Dumbledore stood, his hands raised. With a simple clearing of his throat he has the entire room's attention.

"Students, please, your attention." Dumbledore nodded and continued on. "As I am sure all of you have noticed there is a spot open at the staff table tonight." The students all nodded. "It is now that I regret to inform you that for personal reasons Professor Squire will not be able to teach for the rest of the term."

Ron Weasley's ears perked a bit, "Crikey, personal reasons? I bet he was eaten by a dragon or sumthin'!" "Hush you," silenced Hermoine.

Dumbledore looked upon his students and cleared is throat again, this time for added emphasis.

"Now understand that we at Hogwarts traveled far to find for you a replacement Professor." At this Snape turned to face Dumbledore. _This should be good, _he thought.

"It was only Friday when this person agreed to teach here, I suggest that for you own sakes you treat this professor with great respect or I fear you will suffer greatly."

The students sat in dead silence.

"May I please introduce to you, Hogwarts new professor in the Defense Against the Dark Arts, Profess….what's this?"

"Professor What's This?"

"Shut up, Ron."

A messenger owl careened its way into the main hall. It was a large owl, jet black and terribly fast. It dropped a letter into the hands of Dumbledore. He opened it and read it. A smile came to his face and he read the note out loud.

_"Dear Albus,_

_Before I walk through these doors, you damn well better have my mug and a bottle of wine with my name on it."_

Not a single student knew what to say or do, they simply looked to Dumbledore for an answer.

"I assure you, my dear, your mug is before me and a bottle is waiting," said Dumbledore. "I promise you children, your new professor more than spirited, you will learn much." Snape leaned across the table, a bottle of wine appeared before the empty seat, there was no name.

"Spirited? I bet he's a drunk he is," quipped Ron.

"He's going to give you detentions before he even walks in here, you know," added Harry.  

Again, Dumbledore motioned for silence. "May I introduce to you your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor…Maylin Hunter."

Snape's eyes opened wider than the banquet hall doors. "My god…" was all that escaped his lips.

Maylin walked into the hall, the light was blinding but warm. Her long leather jacket followed her every movement. She took her time walking through the rows of students. She saw them all, every wide eyed stare, every open mouth, every lighting shaped scar. _Good to know he's still alive, _she thought and nodded Harry's way.

Harry shook his head.

"She just nodded at me," said a stunned Harry Potter. "Perhaps she fancies you," snickered Ron.  Harry rolled his eyes, even after so many years at Hogwarts he never truly became accustomed to any of the special attention.

Maylin felt Harry's thoughts and decided that, for the meantime, she would forget she had even noticed he was there.

Once reaching the main table Dumbledore extended his hand. In it he held her coffee mug.

_I believe this is yours_. Maylin raised an eye.

_And the wine?_

_It's next to your seat._

_Thank you kindly, Sir._

_No, my Dear, thank you._

Dumbledore lowered his hand to Maylin and finally spoke aloud.

"Please, Professor, any words for the students, or a demonstration perhaps?"

Snape inhaled deeply for her voice.

"Aya, Sir, what would you like?" Snape released his breath, _This is going to be hell._

"Make something explode!" cried one of the Weasley twins.

The whole room shook with laughter. Even a few of the Slytherins managed to crack a smile.

"Explode, eh? I think I can arrange that fine."

The room stopped laughing. She can't be serious they all thought.

Maylin reached into her jacket and pulled out a single wand. She extended her free hand over the crowd of faces. Her hand moved in waves and the air around it began to look tangible. Swirls of white twisted, turned and grew into a small ball above her hand. She thrust out her wand and muttered a simply protection invocation over the students. With one hand under the ball she returned the wand to her jacket.

With the wand secured, she brought out her new free hand and pointed at Snape's wine glass. Her hand beckoned the glass, but instead of the glass, only the wine escaped. It floated to her in mass of deep red and all congealed into another ball above her other hand.

Snape's jaw dropped only a bit as Maylin quickly swirled the two substances together into a glowing red orb. Satisfied, she held the ball suspended in the air and reached back for her wand. She pushed the ball away form herself and over to the center of the room. She carefully raised the wand as the orb grew and brightened. It followed her voice, it followed her wand. Higher and higher she guided the orb until she whispered just loudly enough for the room to hear… "Boom…"

The room exploded with light and color. Shards of red and gold flew across the room in all directions illuminating the room. The students cheered and cried with laughter as the room glittered in the moonlight. 

Maylin smiled and removed the protection spell from room before finding her seat.

She turned slowly and faced the man next to her. He was as she remembered. Intense. Strikingly dark. Firm. Eyes that could cut a man. Exhilarating and terrifying all in the same moment.

She pulled in close to the table and said nothing. She reached her hand out to the bottle of wine before her. On it read her name. She breathed deep and opened the bottled with a snap.

Snape cocked his head.

"You took my wine, Maylin," said Snape with a painfully dry voice. Maylin exhaled quickly and stared over the students who were still laughing and playing with the explosive remnants.

"Hello, Severus," said Maylin. "Trust I will allow you to share in the bottle in front of us."

With a swish of her wand the bottle filled the two glasses. They both finished they're meals in silence.


	3. Friends First

**Friends First**

It was late when the students filed out of the Main Hall. They looked back and pointed, giggled and gossiped about the new member to the Hogwarts family. Only four people remained in the Hall. The silence pierced Maylin. She put down her empty glass and refilled it to the brim.

"Careful, child," said Dumbledore softly.

"Yes, dear," added McGonagall, "you do have class tomorrow morning."

Maylin tilted her head. _Children,_ she thought, _my god I'm a teacher._ She took a drink.

"I'll be fine, I've done worse on short notice, besides I want to look and feel my best in the morning." Maylin smiled at the two elder professors. Her head bent down and her mind opened to the two of them. _I do not wish to be rude or disrespectful, but after all I'm about to do for this school you could both allow me a bottle wine with out a second guess, hmm?_

Dumbledore obliged, _Child, I understand the position we have asked you to fill is immense, Minerva and I will leave you be, but please be careful. _ 

McGonagall sensing Maylin's tension simply nodded and excused herself to bed.Dumbledore followed her out of the room leaving only Snape and Maylin behind.

Maylin bowed her head to the table waited a moment and then pushed her whole body back into her chair. She sighed heavily and turned to the man beside her.

Snape sat stiff and composed, his eyes fixated on the window on the far side of the room. From her point of view it looked as if he wasn't even breathing.

Maylin counted to herself, one, two, three.

"So," she managed to say out loud. "This is terribly awkward, but I cannot honestly say I thought I would be any different." Snape's hand moved to the table and touched the glass. He tapped the glass and it moved on its own to face Maylin. "I'll have another." His voice was dry and monotone. Maylin nodded and poured the drink, this time by hand. She placed the glass before him and waited. The air between them was thick. His rigidity left her speechless. He took another sip and the moments seemed to drag.

"How the hell are we supposed to do this, if you won't even look at me, Severus?" Maylin's voice was low and loaded with frustration. Snape stayed still. Unreadable. She took another sip of wine. "It's been over ten years, y' know," she paused. "You could at least look at me."

She faced him now sitting sideways in her chair. But he would not comply.  Her aggravation peaked. "This is ridiculous," she whispered.

Maylin quickly stood from her seat and removed Snape's plate from the table and onto the floor with a crash. She grabbed the bottle and sat on the table directly in front of him.

"Look at me."

Snape's eyes rose to meet hers. They burned to her core. The pain started in the back of her head and quickly spread to her heart. Unmoving, unfeeling, and cold. Maylin lost her composure and let her head drop to face the floor.

"I win."

Maylin raised her head. Snape stood before her. His dark over robe hid his thin frame and square shoulders.

"What you mean, 'you win?'" Maylin wearily asked.

Snape blinked once, very slowly, thin traces of a smile crept onto his hardened face and then disappeared into his pale flesh. His eyes deepened.

"You can't stand it, can you," he said smoothly.

"Stand what?"

Maylin rose to face the wall of a man before her. Her stare could be as intense as his and he knew it. She also knew that he would never give in to anything she put before him. He had learned his lesson long ago.

She gritted her teeth, "Stand what?"

"Walk with me," said Snape turning toward the door. "We have much to discuss it seems, and I cannot guarantee such willing spirits from me on a regular basis."

Maylin threw back her head and ran her hands through her hands. "Do you ever change?" she called to him through the doorway. "Just walk," Snape replied. Maylin shook her head and stepped forward…_only end badly…_

The halls of Hogwarts were hollow and empty. Portraits lined the walls, their subjects now either getting ready for bed or fast asleep. Candle light lit the stone halls as Maylin and Snape meandered. Five minutes had passed and yet Snape had said nothing. Their footsteps echoed one after the other. In the distance moonlight seeped in through the far window. It was a full moon. And for the time being the only comforting presence Maylin felt.

They stood side by side. Maylin shifted her hands back and forth from her pockets to the outside. Nothing she did, no way she walked felt right.  But she followed him regardless. Further and further they walked. Nothing looked familiar. Had the walls changed, the lighting, the portraits she did remember simply looked older. Everything, everyone, looked older.

They came to a downward staircase and it was as if her earlier explosion had gone off in her head. She knew exactly where he was taking her. At the bottom of the stairs they turned right and for once Maylin stepped ahead of Snape. She placed her hand on a blank patch of stone on their left. 

"What's the new password, my old ones won't work," Maylin pleaded almost merrily.

Snape stepped forward and touched the stone. "Horntail."

The wall opened like any conventional door and once inside closed silently behind them. As they walked toward the Syltherin common room greenish lights illuminated their path. The common room was just as Maylin remembered it:  thick stonewalls, green hanging lights, the large fireplace, the black velvet couches.

They moved to the center of the room. "Wait here," said Snape. Maylin leaned back on the couch. _Bed checks, _she thought, _god I hated those._ Maylin stood from the couch and walked to the bookshelf. Yearbooks lined the top shelves. She looked hard until she found the appropriate year. She softly called to the book and it fell to her with ease.  She looked through the pictures of smiling students and professors. Dumbledore looked so much younger then. She turned to the front and found the seventh years. Her picture was toward the middle of the Slytherin section. Her hair was longer, by a bit. Her eyes were brighter. Her laughing expression was highlighted by the goofy back and forth head dance she did. On the bottom of the next page was picture of Severus Snape. His black hair hung perfectly around his face. His chiseled features were hard but handsome. His appearance was more thoughtful than firm. He looked more like a poet than a prefect.

Maylin smiled inside of herself and thumbed through the dusty book.

In the back of the book the Seventh Year Superlatives took up almost two pages. It was as strange to remember as it was silly to read. On the second page Maylin Hunter piggybacked on top of Severus Snape. This time they both laughed so hard in the picture they both fell over into the grass. They would then regain their balance, attempt to look as serious as possible, laugh and fall again. They were voted "Most Likely to Take Over the World."

"That was a long time ago." Snape called out from behind her. He walked down the steps from the students' dormitories, and stood closely behind Maylin.

He reached his arms around her smaller body and closed the book in her hands. It floated back to its place high on the shelf above her. His breath echoed in her ear. Maylin's heart beat hard against her chest. She leaned back to fall into him as she always had but when her weight shifted he had already moved away. Habits.  She cursed inside herself, turned and went toward the couch. Snape motioned for her to sit and she did.

"Is it safe to talk here?" Maylin inquired.

"These children," said Snape as he sat, "respect me almost as much as they fear me - we'll be fine." Snape glanced at the fireplace, raised his wand and a blaze erupted.

The fire in the fireplace heated the room at an amazing rate. After living so long surrounded by Muggles, Maylin had almost forgotten what it meant to be magical.

Snape found himself lost in a gaze. Sitting by the fire she was as beautiful as the night she walked out on him all those years ago.  He knew how incredibly powerful she was then; he could only imagine her capabilities now.

"So, Severus, exactly what do we do now?" She looked at him, her eyes perfectly matched to his. Snape found his words and spoke with ease.

"There is no doubt we must be civil, believe me, I've had ample time to decide that you and I will never be what we once were." _Ouch._

"Friends?"

"We were friends as well."

"We were friends first."

Snape nodded. "We were friends first. I cannot argue that."

Maylin pulled her knees from the floor to her chest. "Will we be friends again?"

Snape folded his hands and lowered his head. "We are colleagues now." His voice trailed off. "Perhaps we will…I simply do not know."

"It's a start, I guess."

"That is all this is, a start."

She studied him. His focus shifted from fire to her, her to fire. She knew this was hard for him, but until now, would not let herself believe how truly painful it was for her to be so close to him. Maybe, she had made a mistake after all. She hated doubting herself.

_I'm sorry…_

Snape's eyes moved from the fire.

_Do you really mean that?_ He replied. Maylin wasn't sure. She stayed quiet.

_            Besides, _he continued silently,_ sorry isn't always enough. I'm sorry. I felt and still feel genuinely horrible, but that's not going to bring back what was lost. What is gone forever…_

His voice in her head drifted. It left her empty and tired.

 "But," he said aloud, "above anything we may have to - work out, the important thing is simple professionalism." Maylin nodded. She did have a job to do and an obligation to carry out. Her personal qualms were not the responsibility of anyone but herself.

"I can handle that," she stopped herself, "Professor."

"You may call me Severus, it is my name," Snape paused, "- Maylin."

Maylin managed a smile and stood. "It's late; I think it's time I go."

Snape followed her movement and walked her back to the stone door. The door opened and the pair stepped from the wall and watched it close behind them. They stood close together and yet worlds apart. The ending is simple they both thought, but walking away was the hardest thing either of them wanted to do. Try as they did to hide it, both knew how hard it was to simply walk away even if for a moment...again.

"I will see you tomorrow," said Snape. "I wish you all the best with your first lesson; it is always the most difficult."

"Thank you, dear, but I believe I have the wits to manage."

Snape nodded and extended his hand. "Sleep well then, Maylin, and welcome home, to Hogwarts."

Maylin took his hand in hers and for a moment lost herself in his eyes. "Thank

you, Severus."

They let go of each other's hands and turned to their respective hallways, classes would start early and Maylin had much to teach.


	4. Monday

Disclaimer Cont'd: I still own nothing that doesn't belong to me...or do I? - No I dont't, and I have loans to pay. Enjoy!

**Monday**

On Monday morning the first years learned a basic self-protection spell. The third years learned how to deflect basic elemental projections before noon. The time was ending the lunch period and Maylin sat behind her new desk fiddling with paper clips. She linked them together end by end and smiled at their simplicity. With a wave of her fingers she unhooked them all and placed them back into her desk organizer. Some Muggle things she refused to live without. Paper clips were top priority.

Maylin pushed back from her desk and stood. There were no windows. The walls were dark and the stale castle air was maddening. She understood the need for precaution. The last thing Hogwarts needed was for some Darks Arts experiment gone wrong to escape the building. But the thought of spending her tenure enclosed by four-foot thick stone still left something to be desired.

Maylin snapped her jacket into place and pulled her long auburn hair into a thick bun. She picked up her wand and stuck in her hair to hold it in place until the fifth years showed up. Their lesson today, "Phantasms: How to deal with the undead."

Maylin grabbed her book off the shelf and opened it to the appropriate chapter. She could feel the presence of her next class approach the room. She wanted to appear somewhat professional. She was certain that several students had done their research on her. Maylin wanted to look prepared.

The door opened and once again, gaggles of students, complete with parchment and robes filed into the room. They all sat, three to a table by house. Four rows quickly filled, Maylin watched them all.

"Afternoon all," Maylin called to the group.

"Good Afternoon, Professor," they all called back in unison. Maylin suppressed a laugh. She never remembered being that orderly when she was in school. Instead, she grinned and sat on top of her desk. A wave of her wand shut the door.

"I'd like to have all of your attention." The class lowered their voices. Recalling the festivities of the night before, she had their full attention.

"I'd like to properly introduce myself. My name is Maylin Hunter, and aside from making things explode, I happen to know a little something about defense."

The class chuckled, except for the Slytherin table whom all sat stone still visually dissecting her.

"I myself attended Hogwarts many years ago and I had the honor of living in the Slytherin House – I swear I'm a lot smarter than I look. I know what it's like to be a student here. I know it's a lot of work and that even as fifth years you have yet to even crack the ice of magical knowledge. I'll do my best to give you the skills to survive, but understand that it is your responsibility to do the work. I promise there will be a lot of work, but no more than you can handle. I did it, and so will all of you. You cannot afford to fall behind. In this class, knowing the material can draw the line between life and death. In my entire teaching career I've never lost a student and I do not intend to begin."

In the front of the room, a young female Griffyndor raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss..." she checked her registry, "...Granger?"

Hermoine looked surprised that the teacher knew her name.

"How long have you been a teacher?" she managed to ask.

Maylin smiled.

"Four hours, dear."

Again, the class laughed save the Slytherins.

One Slytherin however, spoke up.

"Four hours? What makes you think you're fit to keep us safe?"

Maylin turned toward the boy and stepped in front of his desk. She lowered her face to just inches away from his and spoke just loudly enough for the whole class to hear her warning.

"Mr. Malfoy," she hissed, she needed no registry to pick out the son of Lucius Malfoy. "Do yourself a favor. When you're in my class, and feel the need to say something…anything. Stop. In my class, you will not speak unless you are spoken too and even then most of the time a simple head jiggle will do. If you feel the need to express your opinion, just remind yourself of your personal insignificance, and shut the hell up."

Malfoy's face was a delicious cross between stunned and terrified. No teacher had ever spoken to him such a manner. _Stupid bitch…_

Maylin whirled around and glared at him dead into his eyes.

_Don't even think about it…_

Malfoy jumped back into his seat, his eyes wide with the sudden realization that she could hear his thoughts.

Maylin's glare extended itself to the full class.

_This goes for all of you. Do not test me. I will see to it that you do not pass this or any of your other classes. I can be your greatest asset or your worst enemy. I promise that I make a better ally. Open your books to page six…Now._

For a moment they all sat there, jaws ajar before pulling out their books and turning to the correct page.

Maylin pulled the wand from her hair and let it drape down onto her shoulders. She would no doubt hear from Lucius Malfoy in the morning. She pointed at one of the Ravenclaws.

"Mr. Hallbary, please read the top of the page aloud."

James pulled the book to his chest and cleared his throat.

Maylin nodded. "Thank you, son," she said sweetly. The class was confused by her turn of mood, but at the same time thankful.

_We might actually learn something this year, _thought the boy with the scar on his forehead. Maylin threw him a look and a small smile and adjusted her jacket.

"I want to introduce you all to an old friend of my mine," Maylin tapped her desk with her wand three times.

"It seems that while this school is crawling with ghosts, they are not the sort that would attempt to steal your soul and feed your blood to a Dark Lord. Hmm, sounds fascinating."

The class's stunned look had now become a permanent fixture. Maylin's eyes darted left and right. She tapped the desk three more times.

"I once had an encounter," she continued, "with a man who was ordered to deliver certain wizards, no matter the circumstance, to the Dark Lord Voldemort." The class gasped.

"Get off it, kiddies. He has a name, and a history. Say his name and only fear his capabilities." The class did not argue aloud, most even refused to think.

Maylin continued to pace the classroom, her voice was low yet defined and clear.

"So, there I was. He had his order and I had mine," she paused. "I walked away, and he left a ghost. We have since become very good friends…after we met a second time." The class sat silently.

Maylin tapped the desk a last three times and muttered something in a language none of the students understood. The desk rumbled. Smoke seemed to seep from the floor and the room became bitterly cold. The rumble quickly erupted into a furious shake. Students covered their eyes as a screeching wail poured in from all sides of the room. A foul smell crept into their noses. It smelled like death.

"Dear god, Holden, would you please calm yourself and have a seat where the students can see you?" Maylin's voice hardened. The shriek died into subtle laughter as the apparition of a young man sat spinning in the Professor's chair.

He didn't look terrifying. In fact, the ghost Maylin called Holden looked to have been rather attractive in life. His hair had gone a bit wild but even in death his smile was wide and childlike. This was not the face of a devious killer.

"Don't trust his looks, he's actually quite the Bastard," Maylin taunted.

"You only say that because your bitter," the ghost shot back. He addressed the class in the most over smug manner a ghost could muster.

"I was going to make this woman dinner, I swear, and she tore my heart out, literally, before I even got to thank her for the night before."

The class stifled a laugh for fear that Maylin might do the same to them. Instead, however, Maylin whirled around and thrust her wand at the ghost.

"_Nadimatus_!"

Holden went to laugh at the scene but when he opened his mouth only dust escaped. Maylin walked to the desk and pretended to pat the ghost on the head before standing before the class.

"This children, is how you shut up a ghost. It is a simple spell not used nearly enough in today's world. You'll notice that Hogwart's own Peeves kept to himself last night - we had a slight run in, he'll be fine in a few days."

Maylin looked over her shoulder to the grimacing ghost behind her. She stuck her tongue out him playfully and pointed her wand. "_Audibus_."

Holden moved his mouth a bit and thanked Maylin for making an example out of him no matter how embarrassing the situation.

"That's what friends are for, dear."

Holden smiled, rose and floated to the front of the class. "So, they're going to learn how to defeat me, eh?"

"That's the plan, why don't you begin by telling these delightful youngster's about the second time we met. The floor is yours, Sir."

Maylin stepped back and sat on top of her desk, her wand in her hand, just in case.

Holden acknowledged that it was now his turn by rolling up his sleeves to show a series of unhealed gashes running up and down his arms. A sickening glow fell over the class.

"I came under the service of the Dark Lord You Know Who as you can tell at a very young age. I, like your professor, was a student of the Dark Arts, she was the quote "diplomat" i.e. quote "hired killer" and I studied with a focus in manipulation." Maylin smirked over his shoulder. Hired killer sounded so Hollywood. She let the ghost continue. "Mind manipulation, objects, you name it I changed it. I received an order from You Know Who himself to recruit several waning wizards for his forces, if they refused my order, I was to eliminate them from existence. However this meant I would have to somehow fight Ministry forces in order to reach the wizards I had in mind."

"The first time I lured these wizards to Hogsmeade, bit of a crowd – can't kill anyone in a crowd right? Well, Maylin and I had been classmates here at Hogwarts. Her husband and I were long time friends -" "Ahem!" interrupted the woman with the wand. She dragged her finger across her neck and shook her head, 'no.'

"Still touchy about that are you?" Maylin nodded. "You have no idea."

Holden obliged. "Anyway," he continued aloud. "I saw her that night at the bar I felt particularly pretentious and asked her to join up with the forces of evil. I mean Hell, she was a prime candidate and it seemed like a good idea at the time. However, I had no idea that one: she had just lost her husband to the Dark Lord and two: was the guardian sent to protect my prey. Long story short - she rejected my offer, cut me up and put a knife in my chest. I couldn't heal fast enough and so, I was left for dead."

"You make it sound like I had fun running you through."

"You didn't?"

Holden opened the top few buttons and showed the slash that ran from the bottom of his neck to his midriff. At the sight of cringes from the audience he closed his shirt and continued on.

"Well, needless to say, I had unfinished business and a soul that would not rest until she was dead. About four years ago rumors spread amongst dark circles about the possible return of the Dark Lord. Just the spread of his name raised my curiosity. I figured that the best way to receive You Know Who's blessing in the event of a return was to destroy my killer. This time I tried from the inside out. I tracked her down while in America and I literally stepped inside of her. I wanted to hurt her just as she had hurt me in my death. While inside her skin, I led her to self destruction. She slit her wrists without any control of herself what so ever."

Holden's face sat in stone as he told the story. This was his punishment and his redemption. Maylin joined Holden at the front of the class and removed her jacket. She too rolled up her sleeves and showed the wounds inflicted upon her. One of the students in the front almost cried at the sight of their identical scars.

"How did it end?" called out a student.

"I lost control," replied the apparition. "For only a moment, I forgot my purpose and May…Professor Hunter took care of me."

"Did you even know he was controlling you?" asked a Hufflepuff in the back of the room.

"I had no idea until he lost his concentration. That's how powerful apparitions are. They are only seen when they want to be seen. They're only heard when they want to be heard. And like any other creature, they are only friendly when they want to be friendly."

Holden agreed.

A round dark haired student raised his hand, "What did you do, Professor?"

"I did what any good wizard or witch would do, Mr. Longbottom. I fought back."

Maylin stood on the edge of the first row of desks. She out stretched her arms and lowered her head. She held her wand tightly. Holden floated in front of her and eased his way into her body. The class watched with enthralled curiosity.

Maylin's head rose. Her eyes had gone all white and her skin turned the color of snow. A voice spoke through her mouth but it was Holden's voice.

"First and foremost, remember your favorite basic protection spell." Maylin's arm raised and pointed the wand at her body.

"Havenada."

For a moment her color returned and went pale once more.

"Next, identify the kind of apparition that has made its way into your body. Individual examples I believe can be found in your textbook. Once you have identified the being, choose the best spell for casting it away. Because this is not an advanced class, it is not yet necessary for you to learn how to utterly destroy the ghost but bear in mind that those tactics do exist and can be quite useful."

The students took notes furiously as Holden guided them through the process. They could not determine who was really in charge of the class; however they were all too fascinated to raise their hands and find out.

"There are several excellent banishing spells for your level, each with a different level of severity. For a milder ghost try the ones found on page eight, for more difficult ones, page eleven will suit you well."

The class flipped back and forth between the two pages highlighting and making notes.

"Please place your writing utensils down for a moment and observe." Holden used Maylin's wand to place a protection spell over the class.

Students from all tables began to murmur about what was going to take place next. They placed their quills on the tables before them and gave the ghost full attention.

A dark shadow crept over Maylin's skin. Her face twisted and distorted. Her mouth opened with no sound. Her eyes turned from white to black, Holden had taken total control. Her body flailed upwards toward the ceiling. The students shuddered with confusion as Maylin's fingers curled and her whole self shook with unrestrained violence.

"No!" She cried aloud and in an instant the situation changed. Her eyes transformed into an icy blue. The fingers on her free hand pulled themselves straight. With fierce intention Maylin pointed the wand at her own body.

"Exitus Non Phantasa!"

Sparks like lightning flew from the wand into her body. The golden sparks created two hand-like manifestations that reached deep inside of her. The hands lifted her off the ground, her hands outstretched once again revealed past scars and future danger.

The screams of the ghost erupted out of Maylin's body. His outline escaped her body and exploded into a foul smoke. Maylin's body dropped to the floor.

The class jumped from their seats and leaned to see what had happened.

For only a moment or two, Maylin lay there catching her breath. With her wits about her, she slowly stood to face the class.

"That was Holden. I hope you paid attention."

The class chattered furiously about the event they had just witnessed. The smoke slowly dissipated and the smell followed. With all remnants of the ghost gone the class once again turned their attention to their teacher.

In the front of the class Hermoine Granger raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Pardon me ma'am, but how did you two ever become friends after what he did to you?" Everyone nodded with the same question.

Maylin reached for her jacket behind her and took her place on top of the desk.

She titled her head to one side and thought for a moment.

"It's simple really," she answered. "Holden returned to me not too long after the incident and apologized for what he had done."

"And that was it?"

"That was it," she replied. "Now, please open your books to page twelve and let's compare what you saw today with what is here in the book, shall we?"


	5. Damnable Roofs

**Damnable Roofs**

When class had finished the students put there books back into their satchels and filed out just as quickly as they had come. Some still tried to keep their minds blank for fear of the repercussions. Other's loudly gabbed about how cool the lesson was. A few just wanted to get out and on with their day.

Maylin walked up behind Harry and his two table mates.

"You three," Maylin called. "A moment please."

Harry, Ron and Hermoine all turned to face their professor. She summoned them to her desk and sat to face them.

They all stood stiff and attentive.

"At ease soldiers," Maylin remarked softly. "You need only fear me when you deserve to fear me. I'm not Professor Snape."

"I could tell that, thank you, ma'am," said a relieved Harry. "What can we do for you, Professor?"

Maylin glanced at Harry's scar, reached out and pushed his hair back from his forehead. His eyes followed her hand. She asked him to step closer and he did. She examined his skin for a moment and smiled. "How's that thing working out for you, lad?" She pointed to his scar with her wand.

Harry answered honestly, "It has its ups and downs, but I'm learning to deal with it."

"So I've heard," Maylin replied.

The three students exchanged looks. "Don't worry though," said Maylin sensing their collective worry. "I find the three of you quite fascinating, when I worked with the Ministry you were all quite the topic of conversation. I asked you here to offer assistance."

"You worked with the Ministry?" asked Ron.

"Aye, I did, I know your father very well, Mr. Weasley. He is very good at what he does, and has always been a pleasure to work with. He aided me considerably in my dealings with Muggles. He is quite the character." Ron gave a toothy grin. Very rarely did people speak of his father with any ounce of respect.

"Any how, it seems that the three of you have had several…encounters with agents of the Dark Arts and I wanted you all to know that if you had any concerns or questions that you can come to me."

"Professor," Hermoine stepped forward.

"Yes, dear?"

"Why are you so willing to help us?"

Maylin was impressed with her openness and nodded.

"You saw the demonstration today. In my line of work," she continued, "I have had more than several run ins with manifestations of a certain 'You Know Who.'"

The three students nodded.

"Never be afraid to be honest with me. I knew his evil before…" she pointed to Harry's scar, "…and after." Maylin paused. "Now off to your next class, can't keep Professor McGonagall waiting, she'll have all our heads."

Harry, Ron and Hermione thanked Maylin and hastily ran of to their next class. Maylin returned to her desk and picked up a paper clip. _So simple and yet so important, holds everything together and with a simple tug it all falls out of order. _

Maylin put the small object and waited for her next class to arrive. Today's seventh year lesson? "Advanced elemental defense." She picked up her next book and sat on her desk. A large group was approaching the room, _Here__ we go again…_

At the end of day Maylin retired to her office and opened her closet. She ran her fingers over the various deadly goodies she had accrued over the years. Favorite items included her hand made dagger and 22 Automatic Smith and Wesson. Maylin removed her jacket and picked up her shoulder harness. She loaded the gun and hit the safety. She tucked it neatly behind her left side.

The dagger lay in a black leather sheath. She carefully picked it up and attached it to her belt. It was no ordinary dagger. Unlike most magical weapons, the wounds made by this dagger could not be healed by conventional magic. When stabbed, the victim was forced to heal like any normal human being. The ghost Holden had found that out the hard way.

"Going somewhere?" said a voice behind her.

Maylin turned to see Professor Snape standing in her doorway. She nodded calmly, "I'm going to make rounds before dinner."

"Have you sensed anything we should be aware of?"

Maylin shrugged. She had felt something but she couldn't place the sensation.

"That's what I'm going to find out."

Snape stepped into the room his arms crossed. He walked around the desks and stood by the cabinet next to Maylin.

His dark eyes met hers. "I heard about your fifth year lesson today, it seems you will be quite the popular professor."

Maylin returned the gaze. "I just did what I was sent to do, and Holden happened to be free today."

"I hear the bastard is teaching now," commented Snape.

"Yes, in Paris, advanced manipulation, and he's not a bastard, by the way, he apologized and thankfully we we're able to to break him of his stupid little evil streak."

"He's a liar and a bastard and he had no business trying to bring you into Voldemort's service. Not after what happened."

"Oh really? And just what you know about that Severus? Oh wait! I forgot – you won't tell me!" Maylin's voice grew unnaturally bitter. She bit her lip and paused. She turned her back to him and breathed in. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She turned again to face him.

He stood stone solid, something she was unwillingly getting used to.

_Forgiven.___

"Severus, is there something I can help you with?"

Snape looked at the gun. "Does Albus know you have one of those?" Maylin rolled her eyes, "My god, Severus you're not going to go activist on me are you, dear?"

Snape smirked, and shook his head, "No, I don't plan to, but I was concerned. Albus disgusts those objects."

Maylin understood. "I spoke with him about my tactics Sunday before the dinner. He knows that if he wants me to remain here he's going to have to learn to slide."

Maylin grabbed her jacket and put it on in a whirl.

"What time is the staff meeting?" she asked.

"After dinner," he replied. "I suggest you bring the gun, you may find yourself needing to use it."

"I think I'll be fine," Maylin remarked.

"Well, then you can shoot me instead." Snape turned to leave but Maylin playfully pulled him back by the coat tails. Snape twisted around his eyes a bizarre mixture of confusion and something else, "Yes…?"

Maylin's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

"Severus…"

"Yes…?"

"You made a joke! Did you hear yourself? God that was refreshing. I thought maybe you'd lost all your charm."

Snape's face cracked a smile; "I'll see you at dinner, Maylin."

He tipped his head to her and left the room uninterrupted.  

Snape turned down the hall and headed toward the dungeons, customary scowl in place. The masses of students running through the halls drowned out his footsteps. He walked with his hands resting comfortable in his pockets.

However, Snape did not feel like his expression. He honestly could not figure out why he had stopped by Maylin's office. He couldn't deny the fact that he was still drawn to her. She was everything he ever wanted and needed. When he lost her he lost everything. But life went on, and now she was back.

Bright eyes, wise eyes, alluring eyes, dangerous - unpredictable eyes.

Snape turned the corner and headed down the dark steps. He passed through the potion classroom and into a back hall that lead to his quarters. He touched the door and it opened.

"Illuminus."

The room lit up with soft warmth. The all polished wood furniture glistened in the candlelight. A large four-post bed sat on a raised platform in the middle of the room. To the left on the bedside table was a hand carved black box.

Snape unlocked the box with a spell and opened it with a stare. Wrapped letters and trinkets lined the inside: An antique pocket watch from his mother a, monogrammed cigarette case from his brother. Attached underneath the lid of the box was small leather bound book. Snape slid it out of its case and opened the book.

It was a photo album. Pictures of old friends and lost loves lined the worn pages.

Maylin smiled back at him from the old photo. Her face was younger and her blue eyes were just as enticing then as they were now. She ran her fingers through her thick hair and smiled at the camera, her mouth moved, "I love you."

A warm shiver ran down his body.

Snape closed the book moved to his desk and sat restfully in the large burgundy velvet armchair.

He closed his eyes, perhaps he dreamed.

Snape awoke with a start. _How long have I been here?_  The old muggle styled clock on the wall said six. Relieved, Snape carefully wiped his eyes and stood. The photo album slid from his lap to the floor. He picked it up and placed it back into the box by his bed.

His eyes hurt.

Since his involvement with the Order of the Phoenix began, Snape's time asleep had been severely diminished. The two-hour nap felt refreshing. It was just what he needed to build the strength to deal with both Maylin and a staff meeting all in one night.

As Snape wandered the halls to the main dining area he thought back to the night before. After returning to his room Voldemort sent out his Dark Mark summoning Snape to him. After only a moment of pain Snape apparated, he was the only one at Hogwarts who could, and turned to face Voldemort.

Clad in black shrouds, Voldemort sat elevated before Snape.

"My Lord," Snape bowed and kissed the covered hand of the being in front of him.

Voldemort barely made a sound. In fact, he only hissed.

"She is back, I know…"

"She, my Lord?" replied Snape.

Voldemort stood. "Do not torment me, she is back and I know. Do not forget about our deal."

Snape hung his head. "I won't my Lord."

Snape bowed and then apparated back into his room.

The conversation was too short, too inconclusive. He knew Voldemort's detest for Maylin He, if it could be called a "he," and Maylin's relationship was one for the history books . And as far as Snape could tell, Maylin would be the only "she" Voldemort would ever care about. And then there was that deal of there's. That he wasn't allowed to mention to anyone at all. For the first time in a long time, the silence was beginning to wear down on him.

Snape shook his head and tried to force the worry out of his system. _At least I have something to contribute to this evening's meeting, _he thought as he entered the main hall.

There was no terribly elaborate decoration for tonight's meal. The hall was brilliantly lit and the tables mostly full.

Snape ascended the steps to head table. He sat at his place and picked up the day's copy of the Daily Prophet. A top story on magical potions being slipped into modern muggle medicine lined the front page. Snape raised an eyebrow and began to read. 

After a few moments, the chatter died down and dinner appeared on the table. Snape picked up his glass of wine and looked left at Maylin's vacant seat. It had been two hours since she left for her rounds and Snape's worry began to slowly creep back into existence.

"Severus?"

Snape turned to see Albus Dumbledore looking his way. "Sir?" he replied.

"Severus, have you seen, Ms. Hunter, I fear her dinner will grow cold." Dumbledore's voice quivered slightly, it seemed Snape's worry was spreading.

"I saw her not two hours ago," Snape took a sip. "She said she was going to onto the grounds."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Had she gone to find something then?"

Snape shook his head. "When it comes to Maylin, I can honestly say I have no idea what goes through her mind. But," he paused, "In my best judgment I'd have to say she was probably following one of her hunches."

Dumbledore took a small bite from his meal. He looked troubled, like he was hiding something. His face's ambiguous expression did little to soothe Snape's nerves.

Then it hit him, like a wave of sudden comprehension. She screamed out to his mind. _Severus!_

The winged creature held her tightly in his claws. She could hardly breathe and choked on the blood that ran gushed from her throat. Her wounds were not deadly and it was obvious this thing wanted her alive. She twisted as best she could but her body ached breaking her concentration.

The creature flew higher and higher, up and over the towers of Hogwarts.

She looked toward the ground and tried calling out to any mind she could pick up. The wind blew her hair into her eyes, she couldn't see. As the creature circled the school to get back on track, Maylin made out beams of shapeless light spewing from the school. _The Banquet Hall…_

Maylin closed her eyes and thought hard as her body twisted yet again. She found no free minds but her hand was forced free. As the lights drew closer Maylin ripped her gun from her torn jacket. The light was so close. The creature's strong limbs tightened. She aimed straight up. One shot. The gun went off and the bullet hit the being through the chest. It screeched aloud and in a fit of panic let go of Maylin.

Holding the gun, she gasped.

_Severus!_ 

She found a mind before crashing headfirst into the glass ceiling of Hogwarts.

Snape's eyes widened and he quickly stood from the table.

"Maylin!" he cried as her body broke through the glass and landed hard face first upon the concrete floor of the Banquet Hall. The students screamed and hid as glass shards fell from the sky.

Snape jumped the table to reach her. Dumbledore and Professor MacGonagall followed him and parted the students with their wands.

"No one move!" shouted Dumbledore as he bent down beside Snape.

Snape's eyes and hands moved frantically over her body. Pools of blood poured out of her small frame. Snape knew instantly that she was dead and that he had only a few moments to help her.

He slipped his hand under her neck. Broken. _Damn. _

"Professor, call for Madame Pomfrey. I'll be right back."

Snape apparated into his office.

He willed the cabinet open and immediately found what he was looking for. He grabbed the tiny green bag on the top left of the shelf and returned to the Main Hall.

When he reappeared Madame Pomfrey was there.

"She's dead," she whispered. "No medi-magic can turn that."

Snape touched her forehead; forty five seconds had passed since the fall.

"Water!" he demanded. Pomfrey quickly handed him a goblet from the table. He poured the water out until exactly half a cup was left. He then emptied the content of the green bag into the goblet. The goblet began to smoke. Snape bent down to his knees and with his free arm, pulled Maylin's body upwards. Her head fell back over his bloodied robe. "Hold her mouth open," Madame Pomfrey did as she was told.

Snape closed his eyes and breathed in as he poured the smoky substance down Maylin's throat. The students sat in silence. Snape closed her mouth. In moments they would know.

"Madame Pomfrey," Snape's eyes burned. "Can you repair her bones?"

The nurse nodded and got to work. As she examined Maylin's neck she noticed something odd. Maylin's chest began to move as if she were breathing. Snape turned to the nurse.

"The breathing is easy," he said. "It's the waking up that is the most important part." 

The nurse's body ran with chills.

"What sort of demon concoction did you give her?"

Snape shot her a venomous look. "Something that will save her life. Family recipe."

Maylin's body trembled. It started as a slight shake before erupting into violent uncontrollable bursts.

Snape held her tightly and braced for her screams of awakening. The potion coursed through her veins. The pain jumped straight into her neck and head right at the point of impact. At first she screamed. Dumbledore lowered himself and gently picked up her hand. He stared at her not knowing if she had any idea what was going on, he didn't care. He simply wanted her to survive.

Snape whispered into her ear.

"Maylin, you must awaken. You may scream, but you must awaken. Open your eyes. Dear girl, open them…"

Her blood soaked body writhed as her consciousness came around. The pain paralyzed her. She was a child, weak and helpless. The pain told her to scream, but all she could do was cry. Soft tears mixed with blood flooded her face but did little to cool her burning body.

Madame Pomfrey mended Maylin's structure as best she could. Full repair could take place if, and only if, Maylin was strong enough.

Snape acknowledged Pomfrey as he held Maylin closer.

"Severus," Maylin's weak voice fought out over choked blood and bone. Snape genuinely smiled, "Yes, Professor?"

"That stuff still tastes like shit."

Snape nodded in affirmation. "I hear it does, forgive me."

Maylin drowsily smirked before finally passing out on the Banquet Hall floor.

He sat with her in the infirmary. Pomfrey ran test after test to make sure her bones were growing properly. But Snape just sat. He had to know that she would be alright. He didn't know why it was so important to just sit there. He touched her hand. He waited. All night she did not stir, and all night Severus Snape waited.


	6. Train Kept aRollin'

OK! so I posted this and apparently it never showed up, which is werird because I previewed it and it worked. this just goes to show that I suck at the Internet. OK so I own nothing and if you likey this story let me know so that i won't feel left alone in my world of supreme Dorkery!

Let's go back in time and stay there for the next 3 chapters I swear it will make more sense now.  


Train Kept a Rollin'

Smoke from the cabin poured out of the speeding train. The wind sharply snapped across the opening. The young woman pulled her hair back with her free hand and held her cigarette tightly with the other. There had to be an easier way of doing this she thought to herself.

"If they catch you smoking in here, you're going to be expelled before you even show up." Maylin rolled her eyes at her companion. "I'll keep that mind, mother."

"Oh, don't start that 'mother' stuff with me, you sound just like James."

"Well, then, it seems we have something in common after all."

Maylin let out a thin stream of smoke and tossed the cigarette out the window.

Her friend looked less than pleased.

Maylin let her hair down and plopped into the empty seat next to Lily. Something was bothering her. She was never the type to hide her feelings well. Her face usually said whatever ever was on her mind.

"Alright, Lil' the cigarette's gone. What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Bull shit."

Lily flashed her green eyes and placed her head on Maylin's shoulder.

"I'm having issues."

"What's new?"

Lily laughed and pushed her friend playfully, "Don't' make fun of me, I mean it. I'm seriously distressed here."

"Oh what? Are you out of lipstick? Or perhaps your bra's too tight under all that god forsaken polyester?"

"Now you're pushing it."

Maylin removed herself from Lily's side and went back to her original seat. She leaned into Lily's space. Her face had changed as she brushed Lily's long perfectly combed hair from her face.

"What's wrong love?"

Lily looked across the cabin and into Maylin's eyes. She stuttered a moment then found her words slowly. "I think I like James Potter."

Maylin laughed out loud and leaned into her seat.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because," she replied, "He's all you've talked about all damned summer. James did this. James caught the snitch. James is hot. James is a jerk. James. James. James. It's no surprise you're into him. Is it a bad thing or something? You're not exactly tied down or anything you know."

"I know, it's just that I haven't really thought of him as anything but some pompous jock before – but then he sent me that letter this summer –"

"- The one apologizing about that Snape kid?"

"- Yeah, and - I don't know. He seems different somehow."

Maylin stayed silent for a bit, Lily looked out the window.

"It's just weird."  
Maylin nodded. "Yeah."

They sat in silence for a moment staring outside the pastoral countryside.

"Which way are we going, Lil'?"

"North, I think. Hogwart's isn't on any kind of map that I know of."

There was silence again. Maylin never knew how to deal with all of Lily's little "issues."

The cute guys, the newest styles, Quidditch. To her it was all the same – things that existed to simply pass time. Maylin wasn't too keen on simply passing the time. She wanted to get out. Do things. See things. Be apart of something that didn't drive her mad. That was her issue. That and she was 16. Everyone had issues, why should she be left out?

Life to this point as a seer wasn't exactly the easiest thing she had ever dealt with. Every thought of every person she ever passed tried to invade the once safe compounds of her mind. She had to get away. She was trained to deal with the noise, and the dreams of others that made their way in at night. She hadn't had a dream that was her own until she was 14. She hoped she was ready for Hogwarts. There was only one way to find out.

"I don't think you'll be in Gryffindor," said Lily over the silence.

Maylin perked her head.

"What do you mean?"

Lily shrugged. "You don't seem like the type. I think you'll be in Ravenclaw. You'd mix well with them."

Maylin blinked. The House sorting thing. She had forgotten how "important" that was at Hogwarts. Like an adolescent caste system that would in the end determine if you were a good witch, a bad witch, or not a witch at all.

"Will I still be able to see you if we're not in the same house?"

Lily smiled. "Of course, Lynnie." We just won't have as many classes together and we won't be rooting for the same team. Quidditch is important at Hogwarts you know."

"I'm sure it is," Maylin replied dryly.

Lily in turn rolled her eyes. "Cheer up, you. Don't be so craggy about it."

Maylin stuck out her tongue playfully and fumbled with the cigarettes next to her seat. "So," Maylin continued. "What's there to do for fun at this place?"

"Well, there's Hogsmeade on weekends sometimes. Quidditch of course – "

"-Of course."

"You could always get lost and try to find your way back to where you began from. Oh, and there's the lake, but you can't swim in it, Gods only know what's in there." Maylin frowned.

"Look it's not so bad. You'll find things to do – places to smoke those horrid things," replied Lily lightly kicking Maylin's cigarettes.

"That's good to know."

Lily shook her head and leaned into her seat.

Maylin's head darted up.

"Someone's coming."

Lily cocked her head.

The door knocked.

"I swear Lynnie, that's just creepy."

Maylin smiled.

"It's unlocked," Lily called.

The door opened and a young man in a Rolling Stones T-shirt under a white, unbuttoned shirt stood in the door way. His dark jeans matched his pitch black eyes and his straight black hair, held out of his face by a pair of thin rimmed silver sunglasses, looked like something out of Cream Magazine. His sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbows revealing a thin leather bracelet on one wrist and a studded watch on the other. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Lily eyes opened wide. It couldn't be.

"Severus?"

"Hey, Lily, I was wondering if you had a moment?"

His voice rolled off the tip of his tongue.

"Cool shirt," interjected Maylin.

Severus Snape stared a moment at the auburn haired girl sitting across from Lily. He smiled and nodded her way. "Thanks, yours too." Maylin smiled back and looked down at her shirt. A faded Ziggy Stardust stared back.

Lily's voice cut their exchange.

"What do you want Severus?" A look of faint disgust crept over her face.

"Just a moment of your time, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Lily's eyes turned to small slits of intrigue. He sounded sincere. Severus Snape never sounded sincere. Something was most definitely up. "Ok," she said finally. "But only a moment.

"Fair enough. May I come in?" He was still standing in the doorway.

Lily nodded and the door shut behind him. He sat next to Maylin and folded his hands across his knees. Lily, looking rather judgmental, continued to stare out the window.

"I just wanted you to know, that I've been thinking a lot this past summer about the things I said and did to you." Lily faced him. He still sounded sincere. This was weird. Severus looked hard pressed for words. Something completely uncharacteristic of the Snape she had come to know. Maylin watched the akwardness from her corner with a hint of delight.

"I understand, if you don't accept this or even care about what I have to say. I haven't earned your respect and I know that," he continued. "But, I went through some personal things these past few months and I want you to know that I'm sorry."

There was another awkward silence. And then a laugh. A mocking laugh.

Lily laughed like she had gone mad. She fanned herself dramatically and choked down her chortle to speak.

"You're apologizing?! You don't apologize. You're Severus Snape. What the hell happened to you?"

Snape looked confused.

"Does that mean you accept my apology?"

"Accept your apology?" she retorted. "I want to know what happened that brought this on."

"It's personal."

"I'll bet. What you had a life threatening experience and boom! No more Mr. Mean Nasty Snape? C'mon Severus. That's not like you."

"Well, this may come as a shock Lily, but you don't know me very well."

"I know you well enough to know, that you just don't have a miraculous change of heart. What? Did the Who's down in Whoville teach you the true meaning of summer and your heart grew 3 sizes?"

"Leave him alone, Lily," Maylin interjected. "If he doesn't want to talk about it then you should leave it be."

"Oh, my apologies, mother."

"Touché."

Severus banged his head lightly against the back of the seat. "I don't think it's hardly appropriate."

"If it's personal Lil' it's personal."

"Personal?" Lily replied. "Since when are you on his side?"

"His side?" Maylin fought back. "What the bloody hell are you talking about – I don't even know him!"

Severus waived a cease fire between them.

"As lovely as it his to have two women fight over me, it is also mildly disturbing." Snape cracked a smile and lent his hand to the girl next to him.

"Severus Snape."

She took his hand.

"Maylin Hunter."

Severus leaned forward in his seat and got a good look at the girl next to him. _She's a fucking fox, _he thought to himself.

Sensing the thought Maylin smiled but made no advance, Lily would slaughter her.

"That's a beautiful name."

"It was my great-grandmother's."

Severus nodded and thought back into his name memory bank. He could only recall one Hunter family. "Are you related at all to Landon Hunter?"

Maylin perked up.

"Yes," she replied rather stunned. "He's my great-grandfather."

"Turn of the century Potion's Master?"

"Yeah."

"Cool, I'm a dork like that."

Severus smiled again her way as Lily rolled her eyes.

Just then Maylin sat straight in her chair.

"Someone's coming."

"God we're popular," Lily lamented.

Severus gave her a confused look as the door to the cabin knocked.

"Come in – it's open," Lily called less than enthusiastic about more company.

The door opened to reveal a tall pale man with piercing blue eyes and almost totally white hair. He was dressed to the nines with his dark fitted slacks and matching jacket. The air around him was pompous and rich - very rich.

His voice, like Severus's, was smooth.

"Pardon my interruption, but I heard a rumor of new blood on the train. Particularly, new and beautiful blood." He leaned into cabin and extended his hand to Maylin.

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Maylin Hunter."

He took the girl's hand and kissed it lightly.

Maylin noticed a faint tint of embarrassment on Severus's face.

He released her hand and stood back in the doorway.

"Hunter," he thought out loud.

"I don't' know any Hunter's nowadays. Who is your father?"

Maylin shrugged. "I don't know my father, Hunter is my mother's last name."

"No father?" Lucius asked seriously.

"Nope, not here anyways" Maylin replied. "What can I say? I must be the second coming."

Lucius smiled devilishly. "Well then," he retorted. "From what I understand about our friend Severus over here you best watch yourself then, with you being so lovely you just very well be – the "

Severus rolled his eyes and rested his head back for a moment. _This is going to be a long year. _

"Good day, Ladies – Severus."

Severus weakly raised his hand as Lucius closed the door behind himself.


	7. A Letter to Elise

A Letter to Elise

The cabin sat in silence for a moment before Maylin adjusted sideways and looked towards the others. Lily's face wore a mask of shock while Severus on the other hand just kept staring at the ceiling. He was worried. But something about him said he was used to this by now. She wasn't sure of what to make him, he seemed reserved obviously but there was something else. Something like – embassasment? Either way, Lily wasn't going to let it go.

            "Now, Severus," Lily pressured. "We're not stupid and _that_ was something you're definitely not getting out of."

            Maylin had to admit that at this point she was rather intrigued but Lily was relentless. The dark eyed young man removed his eyes from the ceiling and replaced his elbows on his knees. He sighed as he exhaled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a half empty pack of Rothman cigarettes. Maylin's eyes widened.

            "You don't mind, do you?"

            "Not at all," Maylin interjected pulling out her own pack.

            "This is so gross," said Lily.

            "Look," said Severus pulling out his lighter. "If I'm going to sit here and tell you about this you could afford me the luxury of a fucking cigarette."

            Maylin stifled a chuckle and lifted her cigarette. Lily rolled her eyes and pulled her legs to her chest. Severus clicked his zippo open and lit Maylin before lighting his own. 

Severus searched for words, but nothing felt right. It sounded childish and petty. Whenever he told his story it felt like something out of a cheesy romance novel. _This is what I have been reduced to – Fuck me. _

"Alright," he said at long length, "Bear with me here."   

            The girls eyed him and nodded.

            "Christ – uh, well...My mum died and – no. Hmm, well – My father, no – damn it."

            "Just spit it out Severus," said Lily rather annoyed.

            "Fine, I fucked a muggle and my father disowned me, now shut up and I'll give you the story." Severus didn't tear his eyes from the ceiling as he spoke. Lily stared at him like someone had just run over her dog. Maylin just sat there and smoked. _These Hogwart's kids have such issues._

            Severus took a drag from his cigarette and ashed onto the floor of the train compartment oblivious to Lily's stares. He started his story again.

            "My father does a lot of his 'charitable work' with this organization called St. Patrick's of London. It's this research place where there do all kinds of like, independent potion study, and research out side the Ministry. It's cool, they're like this non-profit gig. Well, my mum died of cancer during my third year at Hogwart's and since my dad is a potions master he tried working with St. Patrick's to like find a cure or something silly like that."

            Maylin tossed out her smoke out the window followed by Severus's. He lit another. "To be honest with you – my dad's a jerk. He's just a full of shit pompous git, but he loved my mum and when she died, he just fell the fuck apart." He paused and looked at Lily who had given him full attention.

            "So, to get away – I took up an internship at St. Patrick's and I met this wicked girl. And she was amazing y'know, like everything she did was just – perfect. Well, she was two years older than me I found out and she said that this was an internship for her as well. But I didn't remember her from Hogwarts so I asked where she went, turns out she was homeschooled, I asked what her specialty was - she said science, I was confused so I asked her what her favorite Quidditch team was and she looked at me weird, then laughed and it turns out she's a fucking Muggle. Goddamnit."

            He spoke like a train recounting these events. But the look in his dark eyes remain that of someone who had just had a part of them unwillingly surgically removed.   He continued.

            "It turns out that this St. Patrick's place is a cross community research center. It's where Witches and Wizards share research with Muggle doctors and researchers to find links between science and magic. Turning a headache potion into pills for Muggle consumption and vice versa. Go figure. I should've done my research but I just wanted to get the hell out of my house."

            "So against all good judgment, we started dating."

            "What was her name?" Maylin asked quietly.

            "Elise." Severus smiled as he spoke her name. He adjusted in his seat and continued.

            "Well, I was living in London with my brother Jack and I swear everyday going in was like nothing I've ever been through. She was smart and funny, fucking gorgeous and, unfortunately and of course, leaving at the end of the summer."

            "Where did she go?" Lily chimed in. Severus looked up.

            "America – John's Hopkins. Briliant girl."

            Lily nodded quietly.

            "So, knowing that she was leaving – I just wanted to make sure that every moment counted, that every second I had with her was better than the last. My brother didn't care what we were doing, that goofy HufflePuff bastard. I love my brother but he's not all there all the time.  Anyway, my father never made it a point to be around while I was in London, so it blows my mind that the one day he decides to be a father, Elise happened to be there. It was innocent enough I guess -"

            "-He walked in on you two like – doing it?" Lily's eyes widened.

            Severus cracked a half smile and shook his head.

            "No, he didn't walk in on us doing it – he walked in on us as we about to do it – again." Severus chortled to himself. "But, anyway, he didn't seem to mind – in fact he seemed rather relieved, I can't blame him. We talked for a bit -"

            "While you were still in bed?!"

            "No, Lily we put on clothes. So we talked for a bit and they got on well until she began talking about her father. Turns out my father knew her father through his donation work and BAM! my father ups and leaves. I got a note by mail later that evening saying not to come home and I haven't. I stayed with my brother. Elise left and now...well, I don't really know."

            Maylin adjusted in her seat and spoke.

 "How long ago was that?"

 "Couple of weeks."

 "And now a whole new you?"

 Severus stared at her a second and answered. "No, just the me I'd rather be." There was a short silence. "Fair enough."

            "So that's it?" Lily chimed in quietly.

            "Yeah," Severus replied, "That's it."

            Lily sat silently in the compartment. She played with a small strand of hair, her green eyes fixated in thought. Maylin picked up Severus's lighter and ran her finger over the Union Jack pattern on its side. Her eyes shot up.

            "Someone's coming."

            Severus opened the door. Standing poised in the pre-knock position a messy haired boy stood confused in the doorway.

            "James?"

            James lowered his hand and turned to Lily. "Hey Lily, um, me and the guys are hanging in the back and wanted to know if you wanted to want to come back and want to hang – want to?"

            Lily blushed, Maylin and Severus exchanged rolling eyes.

            _Go you silly thing, I'll be cool._

            Lily looked to Maylin and smiled.

            "Ok." Lily got up and headed to the door.

            She winked at Maylin and scooted out of the compartment.

            The door closed and Maylin burst into laughter. "That girl has no idea what's going on, Jesus, I swear she's not like this all the time." Severus nodded. "I know."

There was a moment's pause while they both lit up cigarettes and settled back into their seats. 

            "So," Severus said, "You're a seer?"

            Maylin nodded. "That's why I haven't been at Hogwarts. Too many minds in such a small place, I still have trouble sleeping and I've been in the middle of fucking nowhere for the last 5 years."

            "Should be interesting."

            "Yeah."

They talked for the remainder of the trip sharing quirky stories about they're favorite rockstars and writers. There was something enticingly strange about this Severus Snape Maylin had heard so much about. She cold sense his deep bitterness to those around him but it was also clear that most of what had gone over the last five years had been reduced to only half truths and rumors. In fact, she liked this guy. His voice was like warm honey – Maylin liked honey. _Thank the gods he's not a seer._

            They separated for only a brief moment while Severus went to retrieve his school robes, upon returning they shared one more smoke and discussed the finer points of house sorting.

            "You'll be fine." Severus chimed in. "The house thing is pretty ridicules but necessary. Without it you'd find yourself in an already highly intimidating place with literary nowhere and everywhere to go."

            "You're a Slytherin, right?"

            "Yeah, according to a thousand year old singing hat I'm an ambitious, cutthroat, power-hungry bastard with evil up my sleeve."

            Maylin raised an eyebrow. "Is that true?"

            Severus cracked a devilish smile. "Sometimes."


	8. Lullaby

Lullaby

They train slowed to a halt, Maylin and Severus walked onto the platform and opting out of the boat ride with the first years, accompanied him to the castle. He lead her to the doors of the Great Hall before making his leave.

            "I have to meet up with my housemates, Perhaps I'll see you after the sorting – good luck."

            "Thanks, Sev."

            Maylin pinched the top of his arm as she went and stepped into the vast and beautiful hall.

            Because of her age, Maylin was the first to be sorted. She sat on the small stool before the whole of the student body. She could see the four house tables each aligned with students wondering who the hell this girl was. Her obvious nervousness said "first year," but her face and body said "most definetly _not_ a first year."

From the far right of the room Lily waved and crossed her fingers. From the far left, Severus Snape nodded and cracked a Mona Lisa smile.

            An older thin lipped woman placed the singing hat on her head and stepped back.

The hat remained silent for a while, a series of "hmm's" and "ahh's" escaped it's leathery lips. "_You're an interesting case my dear, intricate blood you have, where shall you go?"_

_"You know something I don't?"_

_"I know many things – many things you do not."_

_"Well then just put me somewhere, to be honest I really don't give a shit."_

_"Such language, to be honest I know that you don't mean that. You know exactly where you want to be and so I will place you in – _SLYTHERIN!"

Try as she might, Maylin couldn't sleep. The dreams started later than usual but once they found her they never stopped. Naked in Potions class, chased by werewolves, first kisses and death by falling plagued her mind, she didn't even know if she could even dream her own dreams anymore. Awaking with a start and sudden fear of hitting the bottom of the bottomless pit, Maylin rubbed her eyes and reached out for her book. As she crawled out of bed she noticed her roommates sleeping soundly and for one brief moment wished she had never come to this place.

            She walked quietly out of the girls' dorm and into the Syltherin common room. The fire blazed quietly across the room. She swung one leg over the couch and plopped down next to a familiar face. "You couldn't sleep either?" Severus Snape's fire lit eyes never even moved from the pages of his book.

"Nope."

"Is this place always this quiet?"

"Savor it."

"Fair enough."

"What are you reading?"

"Anthony Burgess. You?"

Severus turned from the fire and showed her the cover_. Of Dragon's Blood and Fairy Eyes: The Life of Landon Hunter._

Maylin smiled. "Is it good?" she asked.

"Very."

"Anything about me in there?"

"Not yet. But your name is in the family tree diagram in the first chapter."

"Good to know."

They read in silence for most of the night until an innocent sleep overtook them both. In his presence Maylin slept as soundly as she had years before seer blood had taken control. For the first time she felt a kind of new connection. With one arm draped lazily over his chest and her head on Severus's shoulder Maylin slept and for one brief moment she swore she even dreamed.


	9. Awakening

**Hopefully all chapters are where they're supposed to be so, yeah!**** okay dokay! Remember if you like it let me know, cuz-a that would be rockin'**

**Again I own nothing, so it must be time in the story to go - **

**..._BACK TO THE FUTURE!!! –D_**

**Awakening**

It was Halloween and a month had passed since the occurrence of what the students fondly called the "roof incident." Maylin only missed a day of classes, her body had fully healed but her mind was troubled. There had been no such attacks or even presences on campus since that night.

The being that took her was found on the edge of campus and destroyed by an unknown force before it could be captured. It worried Maylin because the creature was one that she had never encountered before. Hagrid's guess was that it some sort of crossbreed.

Whatever it was, Maylin was convinced that it was the same creature that forced the disappearance of Professor Squire. However, the motive for his taking was still completely hidden.

Friday classes ended early to make time for the Halloween gala in the Main Hall that evening. While "cutting a rug" with a gaggle of pubescent wizards wasn't exactly her idea of a good time, Maylin promised she would attend at the request of the Weasley twins and make more things blow up.

Maylin looked up at the ceiling hall and sighed with a giggle, _Kids._

She made her way to her quarters and changed into her costume. Her black leather jacket was replaced with a white flowing dress. She hadn't worn it since her last Hogwart's Halloween dance and she laughed at the idea that, after a few magical alterations, it still fit. The corset top tied itself as she braided the front of her hair and pulled it into a loose knot behind her head. She opted out of the fairy wings figuring the color change in her wardrobe would be enough to turn a few heads. Satisfied, Maylin put her necessities: lipstick, handkerchief, 22 automatic, into a small matching bag and left her room.

The Main Hall was decorated with floating candles and pumpkins. It glowed with red and gold. The ceiling echoed the starry night sky. It was pleasant and Maylin smiled.

"Maylin," called Professor McGonagall. Maylin turned to see the elderly woman dressed in a khaki skirt and a wool sweater. Instead of her pointed hat she was a knitted buckled bouclé.

"Good evening, Minerva, you look lovely." She said with a grin.

"Do you like it dear?" McGonagall inquired. "I'm a Muggle, when I went to London over the last long weekend I bought it at the Gap, do you know of it?" Her eyes grew wide with pride.

Maylin laughed, "Yes, actually, I bought my jacket there in New York. Lovely store it is."

McGonagall agreed, "And those young men with the devices on their heads, I rather fancy them. I would've bought the whole collection had they asked. Darling lads, they kept calling me 'mum.' Delightful, just delightful. Have a drink, dear, the students will be here soon." McGonagall handed her a glass of "magic punch" from the teacher table, and left to speak with the other professors.

The punch was strong. Perhaps the night wouldn't be as drab as she once feared.

Maylin walked around the room with her drink admiring the scenery, when she was approached by Professor Hooch. It was apparent that she had begun with the punch long before any of the other professors. Her accent was thick with twelve year old scotch.

"Pr'fessor Hunter," Hooch put her hand on Maylin's shoulder.  
  
"Yes, dear?"

Hooch paused and stared for a moment before regaining her thought.

"How's yer back that was a nasty fall?"

Maylin suppressed a laugh. "It's fine, love, I'm doing well."

"Good to hear, we were all so worried Sev'rus's potion wouldn't work. Ann Sinistra said it was really a love potion, but then I set her straight…" Hooch paused to rebalance. "I say to her, Professor Snape needed you ta be health-ih before any of that…Am I wrong? No. I'm not. Where is that ole Bastard anyway…"

Hooch's words trailed off.

"You're drunk, dear, Madame Hooch."

"Hardl-ih, I'm just feelin' heathl-ih. Now if you'll 'scuse meh I need another drink…"

Hooch hobbled off to the table and threw her arms around a very confused Albus Dumbledore.

_ Scottish People…_

Maylin scoped out the room. Madame Hooch was right, Snape was no where to be found.

Students began to file into the hall and invisible music began to fill the room. Maylin finished her drink and slipped out the back door and headed toward the dungeons.

Since the "roof incident" Maylin's relationship with Snape had been a surprisingly cool one. In a way it made things easier. She saw him at meals and meetings. One night she invited him out with the other professors to an evening of Hogsmeade, but he declined. They made small talk. When she thanked him for saving her life, he merely remarked that he was only, "doing his job." Still she was grateful. She knew that he had waited by her bedside until she stabilized. She didn't tell him.

When she entered the dungeon, Snape sat at his desk, grading quill in hand. His eyes focused intently on the papers before him. But he knew she was there.

"I'm not going" he said coldly.

"Why not, Severus?" Maylin stepped into the room and approached the desk.

"I didn't invite you in, Professor." His eyes still set on the paper.

"You know that I don't care, and I know that your grading can wait til later." Maylin crouched in front of the desk and tried to steal his gaze. "Please come up…for me?" She gave him the face. It said, "Severus, stop being a jackass and have fun for the sake of the universe." He hated the face.

"You're face won't work…"

"It used to work all the time."

"Well, Professor, it won't work now. I have a lot of work and a lot on my mind. I do not have time to go gally-vamping around with a gaggle of pubescent wizards."  
  
Maylin laughed aloud.

"What's so damn funny?"

Maylin shook her head, "That's what I said. I should charge you with a royalty fee."

"You should reward me with peace, quiet and less of you!"

Maylin stopped. Snape stared at her. His face was stone serious. She stared back.

"What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean…you used to be so much fun. You used to drag _me_ out, but now…now there's nothing." Maylin's words hit hard and sank deep.

Snape didn't respond.

"If you hate me so goddamned much you should've just let me die, instead pulling me through a damnable hell every time we meet. Do you think this is easy for me!?"

"I don't hate you."

"Well you have an interesting way of showing it!" She was yelling, and Snape fought back.

"I never said this was easy for you May, just that it was our responsibility to be professional! We can't change what happened and regardless of what we once were, I intend to stick to that!" Snape stood from his desk and continued.

"I'm dealing with a lot right now, May, and the last thing I need is for someone to come in and destroy everything I've tried to rebuild, - especially you."

Her voice lowered.

"Would you at least let me help?"

No."

"Why not, Severus?!'"

He paused and looked into her eyes.

"Because it hurts to damn much." Maylin shrank inside. Snape cicled around the desk and stood in front of her.

"Because when I see you, everything falls apart and think to myself, 'Well, Severus, there's one more thing you can never have again.' Because when you smile, my heart breaks. Because when you look in my eyes, I feel everything and I can do nothing. And to that, remember Maylin: You left me."

Maylin stepped back from the desk. She could not respond to the truth.

"In fact, you made it quite clear you never wanted anything to do with me, I'm simply returning the favor. I beg of you, and I never beg, please leave me alone."

Maylin's heart dropped. Snape's face went from stone to desperation.

"Severus…"

"No."

"Please?"

"Why?

"Because I'm asking you."

"I'm not going."

"For old times?"

"They're gone."

Snape sat back down and picked up quill. Seeing that he would not give in, she turned and walked toward the door. She opened it and looked back one last time.

"You were so much more fun when you were younger, Severus." She bowed her head and left the room for the Main Hall.

Snape put his quill on his desk. A part of him wanted to reach out and apologize. Another part of him wanted to shrivel up and die. He leaned his head into his hands. _Why does this have to be so damn hard? _He looked at the papers and he looked at the clock on the wall.

He wanted to touch her. He recognized the dress. He remember fondly the night he touched her in that dress._ What the hell is she doing to me? _

"Dammit all," he said to know one. "You win."

Snape opened his potions cabinet and searched for the right ingredients. The potion would only take moments.

**  
**


	10. Wild Horses

**Hey Look! An Update! **I still own nothing...****

**Wild Horses**

The door to the Banquet Hall opened with out a sound and the young man stepped out into the blinding light. He was tall, slim, his face was long but soft. His long black hair fell loosely to his shoulders; wisps of bangs fell in front of his opaque eyes.

Several of the seventh years blushed as the man made his way to the center of the room. His clothes were simple: boots, black slacks, loose white collared button down shirt, tailored black blazer. He approached the teachers table first and took a sip of the punch. He looked around the room. He saw the girls and nodded their way. They giggled and turned. The young man shook his head.

He meticulously scanned the room. The dance floor was full. People whirled and twirled in their masks and dresses as the invisible band played on.

He peered through the crowd until he found his destination. He moved through the colorful young bodies.

He stood right by her. She was beautiful. She danced slowly with the head of the school, Albus Dumbledore. He tapped on his shoulder and turned to face the man in the half moon glasses.

"Do you mind if I cut in?"

The music stopped. Everyone in the room turned to see who had the courage to interrupt a dance with the headmaster of Hogwarts. The young man did not waver. He reached his hand to the lady across from him.

"My I?"

Dumbledore nodded and stepped back. Maylin stood stunned.

"Of course you may lad," Dumbledore gave the young man the woman's hand.

"I'm glad you could join us, Severus."

Snape bowed to the older man. The seventh year girls and the rest of the school gasped in surprise.

"Music?" Snape asked aloud. A slow waltz began to play in the background. Snape slipped his arm around Maylin's waist and took her hand in his. He pulled her close and took a step to the music. She followed. Her dress was soft to the touch. Apparently she had decided to wear the same perfume as she did the last time this dress was worn, and then promptly removed.

_I've always worn this._

_I know. _He replied with an open mind.

_You dance, well._

_Thank you._

_I hate this music, Severus._

_Think they have any Rolling Stones?_

_I could make that happen._

_We'd most certainly end up in detention._

_I cannot recall a single bad detention I ever served with you Professor Snape._

Snape half smiled her way.

_Don't push it young lady._

For a moment they were silent enjoying the awkwardly comfortable movement. They were both painfully aware that all eyes were on them, but inside neither dancer really cared.

_You look handsome. _Maylin smiled.

_That was the point. _Snape smiled back. The room gasped again.

_Why did you come out tonight?_

Snape paused to choose his words.

_Let's just say you won…_

Maylin shook her head and sighed.

_I won't let you forget that._

_I know._

For the rest of the dance they moved in silence. Sometimes they looked at one another. Sometimes their eyes were closed. Sometimes they smiled. But all the while they danced, and for better or worse, they remembered.

When the music ended, he held her. He pulled her close and embraced her. Her hair smelled like heaven. She returned the embrace in full. As they parted, her lips grazed his clean face.

_I need a drink..._

Maylin put her head on his shoulder…_I believe that can be arranged._

The two of them slowly pulled apart and moved toward the teacher table. Eyes followed them as they raised their glasses. The punch has since become more potent, it was smooth and soothing. From the corner of the table Madame Hooch smiled and gave two thumbs up before returning to her glass. Maylin laughed aloud as her throat cleared.

"It's good punch…are you sure you're allowed to drink this stuff, young man?" Snape smirked and nodded. "Please, Professor, I turned twenty three yesterday." Maylin smiled, "It suits you, well. I remember twenty three."

"I know."

As they picked up their second drink Dumbledore came to the table. His eyes glowed behind his glasses. He raised his hands and placed them on Snape's shoulders.

"My friend, Severus, I must say, I am grateful you came out of your shell tonight, is it not a most lovely evening?"

"I dare say it is," replied Snape eying the woman by his side. Maylin turned to hide her blush and politely excused herself to answer the beckoning calls of the Weasley twins. Snape watched as she walked to the cheerful boys.

"The students are quite taken with her," remarked Dumbledore. Snape nodded in agreement. "Who wouldn't be?"

Dumbledore peered over his glasses. "Severus, how are you dealing with her being here?"

Snape could see where Dumbledore was heading with his question. It unnerved him only slightly.

"I'm fine. I'd being lying if I said the "what if" never crossed my mind. But Maylin and I have spoken. We're colleagues." He had to spit out the last word. He took a sip and watched her.

"You missed her, didn't you?"

Snape nodded, "Very much so."

"You do understand why I didn't consult you when I approached her about the job, do you not?"

Snape returned his focus to the old man.

"I would've said no."

"I know," Albus picked up a glass of punch. Snape looked at him with a hint of confusion. "It's only one night," he said. "Besides, it seems everyone has let their hair down, especially you. Tonight is a night to celebrate." Snape and Dumbledore raised their glasses. "To tonight," toasted Dumbledore. Snape echoed, "To tonight."

The party continued long through the night past the quiet hours. The students danced and laughed, the professors did the same. The hall glowed with its Halloween brilliance. Several floating pumpkins eventually met their explosive demise at the hands of one Professor Hunter and her two redheaded cohorts.

"The Lads," she affectionately called them, George and Fred Weasley. They were seventh years, tall and lanky with eyes for mischief and laughter. They joked with Maylin, and made her feel much younger than she was.

"Please make it explode," one would say then the other chimed in, "Dumbledore

loves pumpkin juice, he won't mind at all."

"Yeah, what he said."

Maylin waved her hands at them.

"Lads…"

"We're not Lads," said George.

"We're men," continued Fred.

"And we want to be entertained," finished George.

"Entertain you?" Maylin placed one hand on her chest and the other on her forehead. "I do declare, you…Men… are so damn demanding."

"And sexy." Fred grinned.

"Right, very sexy." George followed, grin and all.

Maylin smirked and laughed. "Alright…alright, which one dies first?"

"You're choice, beautiful," answered George.

Fred just grinned.

Maylin nodded and stepped on to one of the table tops. From across the way, she could feel Snape's eyes follow her. This time it was he who made the face. But he shook his head and continued his conversation with Professor McGonagall.

Maylin balanced herself and raised her hands. The room went silent. Maylin put her hands down and on to her hips. "What now, everyone? It's not like you haven't seen it in class before." She eyed the pumpkin; sized it up from all angles. It was a rather large specimen. She looked up further and found another of comparable size, and then another. _I wonder…_

Maylin found five pumpkins to her liking and pointed to each of them with her finger. _Yes that will do…_

She opened her mind for a moment, _Severus…_

Snape looked up from his conversation, "Yes, Professor, what sort of hell are you causing now?"

Maylin gave her best Weasley grin.

"Send me my wand over, will you?"

Snape continued to stare her down.

_Please?_

Snape pulled his wand from his pocket and floated hers from her bag to her. Maylin wrapped her fingers around the end and pointed up.

_Thank you, dear._

_Just don't hurt anyone._

Maylin nodded and once again raised her hands. The pumpkins floated innocently above her. She called to the pumpkins. "Vanga leviosa." One by one they floated to her, in order she tapped each pumpkin and sent them back on their merry way.

The Weasley boys' eyes couldn't decide where to stare. Each had one eye on the pumpkins and the other eye on the Professor.

Maylin closed her eyes and set her spell. _One by one they all will fall, but spill no blood, but pumpkin on the wall. _

Maylin nodded and stepped down off the table. She winked at Snape and motioned for him to look up. He saw the pumpkins rumbling in mid-air. He sighed and shook his head. _It's your spell Severus. _He waited for a moment and stared at her. She was doing it again. Fire and ice all at once consumed him, _And what for, _he thought, _over a simple magic spell… _

Snape nodded, raised his wand and softly muttered.

"Aliomextatus." __

Maylin smiled and rejoined her Boys. "Remove your eyes from my breasts and look up I promise they'll be there later," she told them.

The twins changed their gaze. Above them the pumpkins began to shake with terrible fury. Dumbledore looked upwards and grinned. He had seen this done once a long time ago. _Good thing I like pumpkin juice. _

Finally the terrible shaking ended and for a moment there was peace. The students turned confusingly to one another before they heard it. A loud screech came from one of the pumpkins. Its carved face turned downward and glared at the Twins and the rest of the room.

It laughed hideously and it eyes turned bright blood red. It began to spin around faster and faster until it shot straight up and crashed into the second pumpkin. The explosion was loud and very, very orange. It then bounced back and hit the third pumpkin with even more fury than the second one. Then the forth met it's demise followed by the grand finale. The fifth pumpkin huffed and puffed when it saw the first one approach. They both stopped in mid-air and with carved eyes stared one another down. As it huffed it grew larger until it was almost the size of all five pumpkins combined and then…

"Professor Dumbledore, Sir!"

Nearly Headless Nick Flew through the wall and straight into the fifth pumpkin. It explosion was so intense it through Nick off course and into the other wall of the Main Hall.

While the rest of the oohed and ahhed, Maylin ran to Dumbledore where she was met by Snape and the rest of the teaching staff. Nick once again appeared through the wall. He wiped invisible dust off of his iridescent body and frantically flagged down Dumbledore.

"There is something in the building and I for one have never seen such a thing." Nick tried to keep his voice as low as possible. Maylin stepped forward. "What does it look like Sir Nicholas?" He glanced her way and addressed the whole staff.

"It's large, with wings, looks rather like a dragon with pieces of a man, the eyes they look human, I assure you my fine friends whatever that be is it is most certainly not human."

Snape put a quiet hand on Maylin's back and leaned into the ghost. "Where did

you see it last, Nick?"

Nick looked toward Snape.

Actually, it was in the dungeon's around where your little ones sleep, by the statue. And then again it was in the North Tower, by the Griffyndors."

Snape nodded. "It's after a child." He turned to Maylin, her eyes were closed, her mouth moving only slightly. "Anything yet, Professor?"

Maylin shook her head "no." There was a presence. But perhaps the creature wasn't an advanced enough specimen of life to get her a good signal. Dumbledore had the prefects guide the different houses back to their common rooms.

As the students filed out, the professors huddled in closely to one another. McGonagall spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen it seems we have an issue on our hands. Flintwick, go with Madame Sinistra. Binns you go with Sir Nicholas and try to find the creature. Professor Snape take the Dungeons and lower levels, Professor Hunter, go with him. The rest come with me, Meet in Dumbledore's office once this thing is found and destroyed."

McGonagall's voice was quick and snappy. Snape helped up Maylin. Her mind was still trying to break the creature down.

Their stealthy and steady pace grew as Maylin narrowed in on the being. Snape opened his mind and became her eyes.

"It's definitely on the lower level…South Hall." Maylin stuttered through her directions. "There's something else…" Snape quickened. "What else do you see," he asked urgently. Maylin shook her head.

"Something…no…someone, small, dark hair…a child!"

"Where?"

Maylin opened her eyes.

"Ravenclaw! Down to the left by their common room. It has a child."

The pace turned to a straight sprint. Maylin pulled her wand from her bag. "Robious," she summoned and instantly her clothes had gone from her white dress to her traditional black leather. She put her hands on her sides. She was armed and Snape was right behind.

"Like old times, Severus?"

He nodded as he ran.

"Just like old times."

-Hey this updating thing is great, you know what else is great? Poptarts!

Anyhoo I just wanted to thank those who've added their 2 cents in about the story. I really appreciate it. Makes me feel like I'm not wasting my time here. So read it, write me and tell your friends to do the same. J

Quick question to a reviewer:

billiejoe: You mentioned elder Malfoy's age in a review, where did you find that? I've cased the books but nothing sticks out. I'm looking to a future unrelated story about Lucius M. and the Harry Potter age game has always confused me. So any help would rock.


	11. Fifty Points

_I don't own nothin' at all.__ cuz If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction._

_Btw if you like it say so :-)__ -D_

**Fifty Points**

The creature stood in the center of a group of children. Marcus Newland, the prefect, held his wand to the creatures face. _Tudacio__ arulliuos_. The repellent held off the creature, but it would not let the young Ravenclaw go. Newland repeated the spell over and over with dyer urgency. When Snape and Maylin reached the landing, Maylin drew her wand and carried over the spell.

The creature looked to be the same as the one that had dropped her through the roof of the banquet hall a month earlier. Maylin held out her hand to the children to silence them.

"I want everyone silent. I want no movement, I want no crying screaming or sudden movement…if you've understood what I've said then please stay still." The students did as they were told. Snape moved slowly around the creature and stood beside Newland.

"Who is the child?" he asked quietly.

"Jack Winters, first year, Sir," the boy replied.

"Damn."

The creature stood on its hind legs and periodically screeched; his head faced the ceiling. In his hands he held the body of young Mr. Winters.

Maylin moved with her wand to face the creature.

Her eyes widened. _It's trying to talk. _Snape moved his eyes toward her.

_Are you sure? _He replied.

_Yes, she continued, It's ancient, a dead language. _Her mind raced. Visions from the creature began to pour into her brain. The captive child whined softly in fear.

Maylin got low toward the ground and sized up the creature, _what are you and how the hell did you get in here?_

The creature jerked upward and the child screamed. Snape pulled his wand "Retillus paralius." The creature froze in its stance. Snape moved to Maylin "That won't hold him long," Snape turned her face to his. "Can you figure out what it wants?"

Maylin nodded.

"It keeps saying something over and over in it's mind. Like a repeated message."

"Orders perhaps?"

"I think so. Severus, have you ever seen Voldemort use a creature of this nature?"

"No, but I am sure it is him."

"What is it saying…?"

Maylin slowly stood and approached the creature. Even in its frozen state it managed to hold on tightly to the child.

_What are you trying to tell me…What do you want me to know…?_

An image came into her mind. The creature's eyes panned down over its frozen body.

_Boy…_It answered…_ boy…spell…_

Maylin understood.

"Jack, dear hold tight, no one else move." She turned to Snape, he held the creature with his wand.

"If you let go now, how long until the spell breaks itself?"

Snape blinked enough to think.

"Five minutes, maximum."

Maylin nodded.

_Severus, I need a decoy, do you have one?_

_A potion?___

_Yes._

_I have the potion but no subject. Who do you need?_

_Potter.___

_Of course._

Snape rolled his twenty three year old eyes in the same fashion as his pushing forty eyes.

_Get off it, Severus, can you do it or not, because if you can't we'll use force and that child will be crushed to death._

_Options, options, _Snape sighed. Five minutes.

"Wait here." And he was gone.

Snape ran through the halls of Hogwarts. He instructed the ghosts to inform the rest of the staff of the creature's whereabouts and continued toward the dungeons. In the distance in the hallway he could see Potter and his friends round the corner with their fellow Griffydors.

"Potter!" He called. All of Griffyndor stopped dead in their tracks. Snape pushed through the children and reached toward Harry. Out of habit Harry attempted to duck but Snape was too quick. He took hold of Harry's head and pulled a single hair from his head. Snape nodded.

"Five points to Griffyndor." And he was off quickly to the dungeons.

There he found the potion and a potion shaker. He poured the decoy liquid into the shaker and dropped the hair into the batch. Decoy Martini. He secured his office tightly and literally flew back to Ravenclaw.

With only a moment to spare, Maylin stood staring down the creature. The spell was beginning to wear off and the creatures head moved violently. She probed its tiny mind. It had orders to find a dark haired boy. It was supposed to find his spell.

Snape returned shaker in hand. He stood beside Maylin and opened the canister behind his back and poured it onto the floor. Students almost cried with confusion but they were too terrified to even breathe.

Snape pulled out his wand and moved it over the liquid. It began to bubble and boil and rise off of the floor. The liquid took shape. It took human shape. It took a Harry Potter shape.

Snape looked over at the creation and nudged Maylin's mind.

_It's ready._

Maylin acknowledged and moved to speak to the creature.

She opened her mind as she spoke aloud.

"We have what you want. We have the boy and the spell. He is useless. His spell is useless. Do to him as you will, return us that child and the boy with the spell is yours."

Maylin and Snape separated and revealed the decoy behind them. The creature lowered itself to the ground. It held the child with one hand and peered at the boy. Maylin scanned its mind. _Give me the child you hold or you will not receive the boy. _The creature's reptilian body shot up at her and Snape. With a wave of Snape's wand the Potter potion began to walk toward the creature. Young Jack refused to cry, but hurt inside where the creature held him. He would not cry. Again the creature screeched and extended it's wingspan over the crowd of cowering children. In a fit of rage or relief, the creature threw the boy at Snape and Maylin and reached out for the Potter potion.

Snape caught the boy and passed him safely to the prefect.

Snape thrust his wand toward the creature. Maylin pulled her gun. The creature jerked up when it faintly realized what had happened. The image of Potter began to melt before its eyes which then turned a deadly fiery red.

"Get down everyone!" yelled Snape. A bright green spell of protection fell over the students. Maylin's gun fired once at the creature. It leaped upward to the high ceiling and she missed. "Shit."

Snape raised his wand again. _Crucio_ That would get him in trouble.

Again the creature swept from right to left trying to find a way out. But it was cornered. In a panic the creature swooped downward pinned Maylin against the wall before she could get a shot off. The children now screamed at the top of their lungs. _Where the hell is the rest of the staff, _thought Snape as he lunged for Maylin's fallen gun.

The creature pushed Maylin against the stone and pulled her upwards toward the ceiling. _Dammit__ not again._

Severus! Help here!"

Snape braced himself in one hand he held the wand, in the other the gun.

"Maylin!" He called to her. "I swear to you woman…Do not move."

Maylin held her breath as the boom of the gun went off in her ears.

The creature's voice shook the walls as it loosened its grip. She was falling.

Maylin closed her eyes. The creature hit the ground with a rattling "thunk."

Then there was nothing. She opened her eyes and looked downward. Snape was holding her up with his wand as the children circled around the creature. He slowly lowered her to the ground. "Thank you," Maylin nodded to him. "You're welcome Professor."

"That was an impressive shot."

"I learned from the best."

Maylin stifled a blush when young Jack Winters threw his arms around her waist. Soft warm tears fell down her side. Maylin stroked the boy's hair.

The tone of her voice sweetened.

"Jack," she whispered, "Master Jack Winters why are you crying?"

Light tears became heavy sobs. "You…were…go-ing to die, Prof-fes-fes-sor H - H -Hunter." The boy turned his face toward her body. Snape motioned for Ravenclaw to continue on to their common room.

When the students were safe, Newland returned to retrieve Jack.

"One moment, Newland," said Snape quietly.

Snape turned his attention to Maylin and her tear machine. Maylin sent Snape a half smile. Snape returned it. "Jack," intervened Snape. His voice was low but nonthreatening. Jack looked up. "Yes, Professor?" Tears stained his face and wetted his scraggly dark hair. "You were very brave tonight, you listened to your Professor, and possibly saved the lives of your house members." Jack cracked a smile.

"Listen to me, child," Snape continued. "The first rule of perfecting any sort of wizardry is knowing when to act and when to listen. Acting is easy, but listening is different, and it takes wisdom to know when to fight back and when to take things to heart. You did that tonight and we are very proud of you." Jack smiled beneath his blankets of tears.

Snape put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Fifty points to Ravenclaw."


	12. IF I Fell

Still in the future, still updating, and still don't own anything. Obrigado for the reviews! (I think that means thank "you" in Portuguese I asked my Brazilian co-worker). So yeah, enjoy if you like me tell me and if you don't like me, that's cool I just won't listen. -D****

**If I Fell**

In Dumbledore's office the entire Hogwart's staff gathered. Dumbledore stood before his desk, his arms crossed. He stared over his glasses at the faculties faces. Mixtures of bewilderment and concern swept over them.

Maylin stood in the corner, her eyes to the ground. She knew that the creature was after Potter, she even had a pretty good idea why. However, if her reasoning was in fact correct, then Potter would be nothing more than a helpless victim.

"Maylin, what do you think of this situation?" Dumbledore cast his gaze her way. Maylin's eyes rose to meet the Headmaster's. She sighed and refolded her arms.

"It's obvious the creature was after Potter." Maylin ran her hand through her hair and slouched into her corner.

"The problem however, is not who the creature was after, but what. I was able to pick out a few words from that thing's thoughts." Maylin counted on her fingers. "Boy and spell."

"Spell?" chimed in Professor Sprout.

Maylin acknowledged. "Yes, spell. I have a sickening feeling that Volde…the creature was after Potter to try and gain the spell that saved his life against the Dark Lord."

The whole room stopped and looked at Maylin.

MacGonnagall stepped up.

"But how is that possible, dear? Potter's survival was from the result of a curse. True love saved that boy."

"Oh, get off it Minerva," Maylin spat. MacGonnagall stepped back. Maylin dropped her arms and stepped away from the wall. She turned to face the group. Snape moved into her spot and stood waiting to hear what she was about to say.

"You all can't continue to live in a world where little baby Harry Potter was saved by the love of his darling mother. Dear, god, you know Lilly was my best damn friend. But don't kid yourselves into thinking for a moment that she was powerful enough to keep a baby like Harry safe from a goddamned madman like Voldemort."

The room sat silently. Snape moved to stand behind Maylin. _Whatever you need to tell them, May, tell them. I can leave. _

Maylin shook her head.

_Please stay. I think you should hear this._

She breathed deep and looked back at Snape. _Go on then. _Maylin nodded and regained the floor.

"Harry was saved by a spell, a very powerful spell. There are only three people who know it and two of them are dead." Maylin summoned a chair from across the room and sat. She leaned forward.

"Voldemort killed my son..." She stumbled a bit and eyed Snape, "...Killed our son – as you all may recall."

Hooch put down her drink, Dumbledore took off his glasses.

"They overwhelmed me, it was that simple and horrible. There were so many of them I couldn't fight back I was bound to floor I listened to his crying and there was nothing. They pulled me from my home, and took from me everything I loved - everyone I loved."

Maylin's stone cold face was second only to the coldness in her words. Snape lowered his eyes and raised the barriers around his thoughts. Her sharp tone and almost wicked temperament reminded him of why she no longer loved him.

"The Death Eaters came and they left me with nothing. They left me to die - Alone."

Snape stepped up behind her chair.

"When I realized William, m..._our_ son, was killed by a curse I created a counter curse. A curse rooted in as most people believe, love; but it was a spell nonetheless. I gave this spell to Lilly. Harry was about Will's age. They played together. It just wasn't fair. It didn't work quite the way I planned it honestly, but Harry survived. At least one person survived."

Maylin leaned back in her chair. Snape touched her shoulder.

_I had no idea about the spell._

Maylin said nothing in return. Snape knew why.

"Do you think Voldemort wanted to use Potter as bait for you?" asked Dumbledore.

Maylin shook her head, "Voldemort doesn't know the spell is mine…at least, I think he doesn't…" Maylin looked up to Snape. "He doesn't," he replied.

"Severus," MacGonnagall said. "In any of your meetings with him, has this spell plot ever risen."

Snape shook his head. "No, with the exception of the one mention of May a month ago, he's remained practically silent. Unfortunately, that's not a pleasant thing."

"Do you think he knows you're spying?"

"Honestly, Minerva, at this point it doesn't really matter, if he has found a way into this school then I'm relatively useless."

"I'm worried more about your security, than your mission."

"It wasn't a secure mission to begin with, and I was aware of what I was getting into, I can fend for myself, mother."

MacGonnagall shot him a look.

"Severus, please, stop. Minerva." Maylin put up her hand, and wearily pleaded with him. "This utter nonsense will get none of us anywhere and I for one am sick of nowhere. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed." Maylin rose from her seat and sent it back from where it came. She shoved her hands in her jacket pockets and left without a sound.

When the door shut Snape turned to Dumbledore.

"Go ahead, Severus, make sure she gets back safely." Snape bowed slightly and left.

Snape caught up with her in the hallway. She walked quickly, one hand over her face, the other wrapped tightly around her waist. Snape reached out to touch her shoulders but she turned instead and fell into his arms. He held her steadily as her body trembled with tears. He could feel her heavy breath on his chest, her arms tucked inside of his.

She was crying, Maylin rarely cried.

He slipped his hand around her back as the other found its way to her face. He traced his finger down to her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. "Will you come with me?" Her cobalt eyes held back their flood long enough to nod in agreement.

He led her down to the dungeons, one hand on her shoulder, the other around her waist. They passed through the potions room and into the back corridor. He touched the wall and allowed her into his quarters.

She stepped into the room and looked around. She leaned back into the corner as Snape slipped into a back room. He returned with two small glasses each with three ice cubes. He poured the two drinks and crossed to face Maylin. He handed her the drink.

She whirled the alcohol in the glass and starred downward. "What is it, Severus?"

Snape leaned on the wall beside her, his head cocked to one side. "It's a very good and old friend of ours; my brother sent it to me when I began teaching."

"So it's strong then?"

Snape shook his head. "It's no stronger than any other Muggle whisky."

"May I at least have a hint?"

Snape paused. "Tennessee."

"Ooh, _that _good friend." Maylin replied. Snape nodded.

"I like Jack, he's been good to me," said Maylin.

Maylin continued to look down at her drink. "Why did you bring me here, Severus?"

Snape lowered his eyes to match hers. "You just look like you needed a drink."

Maylin forced a smile and stepped away from the wall. With her drink in her hand she lazily circled the room. Something caught her eye. A brown leather book sat on the counter in front of her. Maylin opened the book and flipped through the pages slowly one by one. Snape moved behind her and placed his drink next to hers. His hands rested on her shoulders.

Maylin breathed deep, _What the hell am I doing?_ Snape's hands moved slowly down her arms and crossed her waist. Maylin straightened her body and leaned back. She wrapped her arms around his and closed her eyes.

They stood there for a moment, both not knowing what to do next. Neither knowing what to say or how to respond to the comfort they felt just simply standing still. Snape moved his mouth to her ear.

"You know this is killing both of us?"

Maylin nodded and turned to face him. She leaned back in his arms and raised a finger to his face. She traced a thin line from his forehead down to his mouth. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

"You are a handsome man, Severus Snape." Snape shook his head.

"You say this because I look as you remember me." Maylin smiled and pointed to the mirror behind him. Snape turned to see himself no longer twenty three. His face seemed paler; tired.

"The potion wore off on the way here," Maylin touched his cheek. "I rather fancy the way you look now."

A thousand things raced through Snape's mind but they all lead to one conclusion. He moved one hand from the small of her back up her neck. Their eyes met, and then their cheeks. He caressed the side of her neck with his thumb and she tilted until their lips sank into each other. For a brief moment they froze.

_Is this real, May?_

_Yes._

Their lips explored once familiar places as their bodies grew closer. Her neck, his chin, her forehead, his ear. The taste of heaven swept through them. Part of Maylin wanted to cry the other half wanted to laugh. Snape pulled her tight to him and set her body leaning on the dresser. He closed his eyes as his lips slip down to her neck and off her body. He placed his hands on either side of her legs and braced himself on the counter. He lowered his head before her.

Maylin placed her hand on the back of his neck lightly ran her finger nails underneath his black hair.

"Give me a moment."

Snape stood up haphazardly and walked a few steps backward and fell onto his bed. He placed his hands on his face and tried to figure out what had just happened.

_Is that an invitation, Severus? _Snape heard her voice in his mind and sat up quickly. She stood there leaning on the dresser. The dim light framed her pale face. Her eyes sent fire through him.

_Gods, you're beautiful._ Snape shook his head. Maylin smiled. "Take your moment, I'll be here."

He was helpless. Severus Snape was weak for no one, and yet sitting before her he could barely breathe let alone think.

"Fifty points from Maylin Hunter for kissing me stupid." And he fell back on the bed.

Maylin shook her head and smiled. She hopped off the dresser and turned back to the book by her side.

Picture after picture of lost friends and moments captured forever. Teases of happiness looked her in the eye as she ran her fingers over the pages.

The last page caught her interest. "Oh my God."

Snape's ears perked and he got up and moved behind her. He looked at the picture and sighed. He put one arm around her and held her hand with the other.

They sit smiling on an old stone wall in front of their garden. Maylin lies back on Snape's chest, his arms wrap around her and the dark haired child in her lap. It's cold. They laugh, rub noses, and kiss.

Maylin took out the picture from the book and read the back.

_Nov. 1-Severus and Maylin celebrate three years, and one year for little William, all my love-Lily._

Maylin put the picture back in its place. She breathed deep, and turned around. Snape once again wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. Maylin moved up and pressed her lips back into his.

She was comfortable, standing there surrounded by him. He was warm, like she remembered. He was gentle, like she remembered. His touch was soft and slow. He liked to savor every moment, every movement of her body. When she rose, he lifted her up. And when she fell he held her still. Maylin pulled back from the kiss. She rested her forehead on his mouth and held his slender sides with her hands.

"Would you hate me if I told you that I had forgotten?"

Snape looked down into her ocean eyes.

"I could never hate you. You should know that."

Maylin turned her back to him. "For a while I had no idea how you felt about me. I'm still not sure I understand. - I'm still mad at you, you know."

"Maylin, I want you to wholehearted believe for one moment that you were wrong about the entire thing. I want you to believe that I know what I did was wrong but that I had no other choice."

"Severus," Maylin looked into the darkness of his eyes. "If you won't tell me why you let them do what they did to William then how am I supposed to believe that I am wrong?"

"Trust me, for one moment just please - Trust me?"

"I do but -"

"Do you?"

Snape moved up to her and ran one finger down her back. She shivered and sighed. Snape moved around her and used the same finger to wipe away the tear forming in the corner of her left eye.

"Yes."

He stepped up to her and breathed her in. She was enticing. His fingers found their way to her hair. He wanted to make love to her, ease her down and make her feel young and beautiful. Instead though, that night, he settled for a kiss.


	13. Waiting on a Friend

Two chapters in one night how can we all be so lucky? Well, my lovely fiancé has come down with – get this SCARLET FEVER! We figure that next week he'll come down with the Whooping Cough when we lose our way on the Oregon Trail and have to ford the river. So yeah I have some extra time on my hands because he sleeps 20 hours out of the day. So he gets sick and y'all get another chapter. I blame this chapter on Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman. If you like the fic, say so, if not then why are you even reading this? BACK IN TIME! HUEY LEWIS STYLE! sorry...it's been on of those days. -D

Waiting on a Friend

According to sixth year Slytherin, Maxwell McKagan, there were many different breeds of Slytherins. The first kind was your typical, "We're rich, so fuck you" Slytherin. These sorts, of course, contrasted with the existential, "We're so rich, so why does it all matter?" Slytherin. Now, the former group of Slytherins were not to be confused with the "We're rich and Evil-RA-RA-RA!" Slytherins, while the latter was often mistaken for the "Beer O'clock Slytherins" that we're obviously the fewest and far between Slytherins next to the "Heart of Gold Slytherins," which, upon close examination, didn't exist at all.

Severus Snape chortled lightly in the outdoor breeze. He had just lit another cigarette and thankfully no one ever used Hogwarts's side door adjacent to the Forbidden Forest. "Which one am I, Max?" asked Severus as he exhaled.

Max sat down on the side steps and sized up his housemate. A series of deliberate "hmms" and "ahhs" was followed by a rather melodramatic "well." With one finger poised in the air, Max smiled. "Severus, my friend, I believe you fall into a subcategory of the "Beer O'clock Slytherin," called the "Over-sexed but under-laid Slytherin." Severus laughed out loud, something rarely heard out of this small group. "And what pray tell, great master, is that supposed to fucking mean?"

Another Slytherin, Holden Chase stepped up to lean on the rail and offer his opinion. "Well obviously, Mr. Snape, it means that instead of being out here gracing us with your presence you should be showing Miss Hunter the time of her life."

Snape smirked and stepped back. "Fuck you."

"Fuck us?" Holden retorted. "Fuck you – no, fuck you, you fuck her!"

Max laughed out loud. "I think the pretty boy has a point, where is May anyway?"

Holden winced. "She's on a 'date' apparently."

"Who's the lucky bastard who scored that?"

Severus tossed down his cigarette and mashed is with his boot.

"Sirius Black, the cocksucker," Snape responded almost bitterly.

Max's eyes widened with disbelief. "How the fuck did he score a date with our girl?"

Holden sat on the step. "He didn't. Lillian the Cute set them up, and Potter the Ass got a night pass from Dumbledore."

"And you let that happen, Sev?"

"I'm not her father, she can make her own decisions not matter how retarded."

"Yeah, but you actually give a shit about her, why don't you say something to her."

Snape shook his head. "I'm not having this conversation with you both."

"Why not, brother? Holden and I, after all, fall into the "open ears for all of Severus's bizarre issues" subcategory of the existentialist Slytherin."

"Also, you need to get laid or your going to fucking explode."

"What the fuck are you talking about!?" Severus shouted out of nowhere. "I don't need to fuck anyone! Am I the only one who doesn't walk around constantly thinking with his dick?!"

"Yes," replied Holden.

"Fuck you! Besides, if I wanted to get Maylin into bed, I could."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really Maxwell, but maybe I don't want too; maybe I just want her to give someone to care about. Maybe I actually love her enough to...to..." Severus trailed off. What had he just said? _Fuck me._

"Wait, wait, Sev," Holden interrupted. "You _love her enough_? Max, I think we have a winner."

"Ding! Severus brother, you got it bad."

"Fuck you."

"Yeah, yeah, fuck us, blah blah. Big deal. You need to tell -" "I don't' have to tell her shit! Besides this crap just – jus..."

"Just what, brother?"

Severus looked up at the darkness and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Nothing."

Holden and Max exchanged looks. Severus lit another cigarette.

"You got it _real_ bad, mate."

Severus shook his head and turned, a half smile had turned to his face.

"You're both a couple of fuckers, you know that?"

They nodded in unison.

As the subject changed, the door behind them creaked open. The boys turned to see Remus Lupin standing still and looking distant. Severus stood and turned. He took a drag on his cigarette, his eyes narrowed.

"Evening Lupin, out for a moonlit stroll?"

Lupin leaned wearily on the door and shook his head.

"Then what do you want?" Holden asked dryly.

Lupin cleared his throat, and stepped forward. "Lynnie's back...I think you all should all...she came back alone."

Max and Holden stood and turned next to Snape. Holden stepped forward and leaned into to Lupin. "She came back? Alone?"

Lupin nodded.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure, Severus, but judging from the look on her face, she could use her 'musketeers.'"

"Was that sarcasm, Lupin?"

"When in Rome, Max."

The three Slytherins exchanged glances and headed up the stairs. Max and Holden entered the castle. Lupin remained outside. Snape stopped in front of him and tossed his cigarette onto the ground. He eyed Lupin for a moment before speaking. "Black fucked with her?" Lupin's vacant stare met his. "She's up in the Astronomy Tower with Lily." Snape stood for a moment and turned to head in. Lupin grabbed his arm. Snape reacted quickly and turned to face him again.

"If you decide to beat the living hell out of Black, I won't hold that against you."

Lupin lowered his arm. Snape gave a half smile and nodded before catching up with his housemates on their way to the Tower.


	14. Street Fighting Man

Still own nothing, thanks for letting me know I don't suck btw, reviews are cool and much better than my usual, YOU HAVE A MEETING IN TWENTY MINUTES STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING SO WE CAN TALK FOR AN HOUR ABOUT FURNITURE SWATCHES!, emails that I'm accustomed to getting at work. so yeah, I'm putting two up because the first is rather short and the second is a continuation. _rock__! -D_

**Chapter 14 Street Fighting Man**

Sirius Black looked hazily up from his afternoon coffee. His hangover headache was finally wearing away but uneasiness still sat deep within his stomach. He told himself that he wasn't at fault for a damn thing that had happened the night before. He told himself that if she didn't want to do anything then she would have at least said _something._ But when she didn't say anything he went in for the kill. It was a simple kiss. An innocent kiss shouldn't cause this much trouble. The reaching under her shirt part was probably a bit much, but he was drunk. He had never been asked about his age and thankfully his parents knew the owners of the bar he tended to frequent. This was never supposed to turn the kind of dirty looks he had been getting all morning and it was beginning to piss him off. Lupin wouldn't even look at him. The Slytherins couldn't keep they're collective snake eyes off of him. One pair in particular observed every move he had made since walking into the hall.

"Fuck'em," he thought as he took another sip. Maylin was hot but she wasn't worth this kind of trouble. But Serverus Snape was another matter.

They glared at each other from across the room. Maylin's head rested on Snape's shoulder. Every so often she would crack a smile at one of Max McKagan's observations or throw a roll at Holden Chase's head. But mostly she rested her head and looked down at her food. She barely ate a bite.

Sirius Black shifted his gaze to Maylin. For a brief moment their eyes met and within an instant Severus rose from his seat and made his way slowly to the Gryffindor table.

While every conversation continued, all eyes shifted to the young man making his way across the room.

Severus stood behind Sirius and eased his way into the seat next to him. He leaned his elbows on the table. He breathed in as if to speak but Sirius interjected before his words escaped.

"What ever you're going to say to me Snivellus, just shove it back where it came from. I don't -"

"I don't really care what goes on through your head Sirius." Snape said smoothly. "In fact," he continued, "I don't care what you think about me."

"Severus-"

"Severus doesn't give a shit, Sirius."

Sirius looked into the cold depths of Snape's eyes. Snape was pissed.

"Two things, and this will be over."

Sirius crossed his arms then motioned for him to continue. "One: You owe Maylin an apology. And two," Snape leaned into Sirius.

"If you ever touch her again, I swear, I'll fucking kill you."

Sirius was about to protest but a glare from Lily kept his mouth shut. When Sirius turned to face Snape he had already removed himself from the table and was making his way back to the Syltherin side of the room.

Sirius sat glaring at the Slytherin. How dare he. How dare he just waltx over here he owned her. This wasn't about Maylin, this was about them. Sirius stood and followed him back. Snape had already sat down when Sirius bent down to his ear and whispered.

"I thought about what you said, Severus. I think you're right." Sirius stood for a moment and placed his hands on Maylin's shoulders. She stiffened and her eyes widened.

Sirius ran his fingers down her arms, grazing her breasts and whispered just loud enough for Snape to hear.

"I'm so – very – _sorry_."

Maylin stood to speak out but by the time she turned Sirius had already been thrown back against the wall.

Snape pulled Sirius up by his shirt and cracked his fist so hard into his face his cheek began to bleed.

The room erupted into cheers and screams. Maylin yelled something and Sirius pulled from Snape's grip and clocked Snape square in the nose. Blood poured from his face. Snape placed his fist under his nose and knew immediately that it was broken. From the corner of his eye he saw the teacher's coming to break up the fight. So instead of backing off like he should have, he plowed Sirius back into the wall again. He punched him in the gut and once more in the face.

Snape could feel Dumbledore's presence behind him and stepped back from the bloody mess.

Dumbledore raised his wand and immediately the room fell silent. He sent the boys to the infirmary, with explicit instructions to appear in his office as soon as all bleeding had ceased.

Sirius winced as he made his way to the door. Snape grabbed a napkin from the Slytherin table and placed it under his nose. He surveyed the table. Maylin was gone.


	15. Some Kind of Wonderful

Own nothing, awake early on a Sunday morning. R&R if thou is so inclined.

**Chapter 15 - Some Kind of Wonderful**

Snape emerged from Dumbledore's office with only two days of detention and 20 point deduction. Dumbledore must have known what had happened the night before, word tended to get out about everything very quickly for a place with no phones.

He stepped out into the spring sunshine and diverted his eyes from the brightness. He pulled his sunglasses from his back pocket and was thankful they hadn't been destroyed in the fight. When he put them on his nose stung painfully. It had only just been broken and the bone was difficult to set due to previous injury. He told the nurse to leave it alone. 'Battle scar,' he thought to himself as he crossed the lawn.

He glanced over the grounds and made is way to a familiar shape by the lake. She was beautiful. He couldn't help but stare at her. He told his house mates he wore the sunglasses to keep his eyes from hurting in the light. In truth, he just didn't want Maylin to know he was staring. She was wearing her favorite loose jeans today. They looked like something a boy would wear but they fit just enough below her hips to show her perfectly curved shape. She once joked about how her hips could kill a man. Severus could think of worse ways to die.

She laid by the lake in the shade of a large tree staring straight up into the branches. Her eyes moved with wind. Cobalt blue, like crystallized water flowing endlessly. He could swim in those eyes. He often did.

He looked down where she lay and smiled a bit.

"You make a horrible tree, Severus." She said patting the grass.

Severus took the hint and lay next to her. He stared into the tree and listened for her breathing. "Let me see."

Severus looked at her puzzled. She turned her face to him and pulled his glasses gently off his face. His nose was swollen and at least 3 shades of purple. She stared his way and for a moment he felt incredibly self-conscious about his nose. He stared back and it wasn't until a little later when he realized she wasn't looking at his nose at all. She was looking at his eyes.

"Where do you get your eyes from?"

"There's a specialist in Diagon Alley who sells them cheap." Snape replied dryly. He felt a hand land on his stomach. Her eyes returned to the tree. A moment a silence led to the truth.

"My mother. She's Italian. I have her eyes."

"I like them."

Her voice was softer then usual. This meant something was on her mind.

"Thank you," she said staring upwards. Severus nodded knowingly.

"You're welcome."

Silence like this would normally kill Severus, but in this moment it was all he needed. Being with her was like nothing he had ever known. He thought back to his summer with Elise and was grateful for her affection. Grateful to know that he was human and could, in fact, handle the kindness of others. But he was also relatively grateful she had left.

She once told him that the only reason she put up with him was because one day he would make another girl, the perfect girl, eternally happy. To do so he would have to be educated. It was all just a big joke between them. She may have been slightly older but in truth could say that he honestly loved her. But this thing he had now was something else. Something greater. Something that at the ripe age of sixteen he knew could last forever.

Minutes passed. Maybe hours passed, Severus couldn't tell. Maylin's mind had closed and for a while he assumed that she had fallen asleep. That was until she spoke.

"Do you love me, Severus?"

Severus closed his eyes and thought of the million ways he could answer the question. Granted he knew the answer but his tendency to overanalyze everything threw so many things into the mix that when it came right down to it he had no idea what to say. He could feel the ground breathing beneath him. The wind blew gently, his wits failed him.

"Yes."

There was another one of those moments of silence he loved and dreaded. Maylin still stared into the trees. Her face lightened as the trees swayed and drops of sunshine lit her skin.

"Are you in love with me?"

This time she faced him. This time the answer was easy.

"Yes."

What felt like a hundred pound weight lifted from his chest.

"Is that okay, May?"

Maylin once again looked upwards and for the first time all day let out the biggest smile. One of those silly toothy smiles only achievable by young children and people under the influence. Maylin reached her hand through the grass and found his fingertips. He wrapped her fingers in his. Severus smiled back. "Yeah, Sev. That's okay."


	16. By Your Side

You know what I own? nothing...Love the reviews, ya'll rock. ok Story time -D

**16 - By Your Side**

It was early that next Friday morning when Severus was pulled from his Herbology Class and sent to Dumbledore's office. His tablemate Max was pulled earlier and neither Maylin nor Holden had been seen since breakfast. Severus knew something was up. He hoped it had nothing to do with last week's fight, but that thought seemed ridiculous. He had already served his two detentions. It was water under the bridge as far as he was concerned.

His thoughts turned elsewhere. Like Holden, he hadn't seen Maylin all day. He began to worry that maybe this had something to do with her. But every scenario he came up with was as unlikely as the next. Besides, he was completely up in the air about just what he and Maylin were supposed to do next. He told her he loved her. But for the last week she acted around him as if nothing had changed. He made the move to kiss her but decided in the last second that her forehead would be the lucky recipient of his affections.

With Elise it was so much easier. After all, she had kissed him first and he simply ran with it. But Maylin was more difficult to read. She was smiling more and that was a plus. But smiling aside, Severus needed to know where he stood with her. This was making him crazier then when he hadn't said anything at all. Maybe Dumbledore had called him to congratulate him on winning a vacation to somewhere warm where there were neither drinking ages nor drug laws. 'Yeah, I could use that right about now,' he thought as he reached the bottom of Dumbledore's steps. He didn't know the password but regardless the statue raised and a staircase lowered before him. He must have been expected.

Taking his time up the steps he heard voices around the corner. They were muted at best except for one. The voice belonged to a young child no more than 4 or 5 years old. The voice made him smile because he knew exactly who it was. Severus stopped and crouched down on the top step and waited. The child's voice fell to a whisper. "Shhhhh!" Said the voice. "He's coming." All taking ceased and Severus waited for the child's curiosity to peak. He heard the child's footsteps reach the opening to the steps. When the small dark haired boy poked his head around the corner, Severus leapt up and grabbed him around the waist. He swung him in a large circle high in the air. The child giggled and screamed with delight. He wrapped his legs above Severus's waist and Severus flipped in upside down and swung him again. The child laughed and Severus pulled him into to a hug.

Ashton Snape hugged his older bother back and stuck his tongue out. Severus retaliated by the releasing the boy and catching him before he hit the floor. Ashton giggled again and upon reaching the floor turned and ran to the other dark haired man in the room.

"Jack! Jack! It's Severus! Can we go home now?"

Jack Snape emerged from his chair. He was tall like Severus and shared the same eyes. His hair was shorter than brother's but his broad shoulders and tan complexion made it very easy to tell them apart. Severus looked confused at best. On the side of the room, Maylin, Max and Holden all sat on Dumbledore's couch. The man himself looked concerned behind his desk. Ashton clung to Jack's leg as he crossed the room to meet his brother.

Jack extended his arm and Severus took it. Jack smiled and pulled his little brother in and rubbed his knuckles into Severus's head. Severus broke the hug and punched his brother in the arm. "Quit that, I'm not 12 anymore."

Jack chuckled and grabbed him again to administer little brother torture. "Get used to it Sev, I'm going to keep doing this 'til your 40."

"Bugger! Stop!" Severus fought back but Jack was too strong.

Maylin laughed quietly as Max and Holden encouraged Jack to beat the hell out of his brother. Ashton had moved around behind Dumbledore's and pulled on the old man's beard for attention. "Make them stop Dum-ba-dore." The old man nodded and stood.

"Boys!" he said in a raised voice. The Snape brothers separated.

"This is neither the time nor the place for such activity." Jack nodded sullenly and motioned for his little brother to sit. Severus complied and sat next to Maylin on the couch. _What's going on, May?_

Maylin responded by placing her hand on his knee and motioned to the 4 year old making his way toward the couch. Ashton climbed onto his brother's lap and put his head on Severus's shoulder. "Papa's asleep forever, you have to come home."

Severus's head shot up and his eyes darted from Maylin to Jack then Dumbledore and back to Maylin.

Jack squatted down to his brothers. He handed a piece of paper to Severus and took Ashton into his arms. Severus unfolded the paper. It was a death certificate dated two days previous. "Ashton found him, Sev. He told the house elf that Dad wouldn't wake up, I found out yesterday."

"Papa's asleep," Ashton said quietly.

Severus studied the paper and handed it to Maylin before standing.

"So I guess this means you want me to go back with you?"

Jack nodded. "Just for the weekend. Your presence has been requested."

"Who requested it?"

"Dad."

Severus's puzzled look expanded as Jack handed him another piece of paper. This time it was a note. It was a letter than from the looks of it his father had written but never sent. The note asked him to come home. It was dated December of the previous year.

"If dad wanted me to come home for Christmas, he would've sent it."

"You should go, mate, we'll keep an eye on things for you." Holden smiled as best he could.

Severus stepped over to the couch and looked at his friends inquisitively.

"And what exactly are you all doing here?"

"We're your support group." Max grinned and all three waved in unison.

"Are you alright, Sev?" Maylin looked up at the young man. Her eyes filled with a caring concern. Then began to sink in. His father was dead. He was dead and he wasn't coming back. The people that surrounded him were his family and they beneath their cool exterior he realized just how much they cared about him. They never judged him. They let him vent. They let him go through all the changes and obstacles he met and all they asked in return was that he do the same for them.

He ran his hand through his hair and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ok."

They hung around Dumbledore's office for a bit longer while Jack and Dumbledore discussed Severus's custody. He was still technically not a legal adult and it was with an overwhelming agreement that Jack take legal custody of both his brothers. "Maggie and I weren't planning on having kids for a few years, but I think we'll make an exception." Dumbledore agreed and Severus's papers were signed. They would be sent to the Ministry first thing in the morning.

Ashton played with Maylin and Max while Holden and Severus stood in the corner and watched.

"How are things with the two of you?"

"What things? What did she tell you?"

Holden just smiled and told him not to lose his mind over the whole situation. Whenever he needed the room, Holden assured him that he and Max could find decent company with the Spanish Ravenclaw twins Maria and Juana. Severus and punched his friend and prepared to leave. Hogwarts's elves had prepared a bag and Dumbledore gave Jack a portkey to give to Severus when he was ready to return.

Jack and Ashton gathered around another portkey to take them back to their home. Severus said his goodbyes and was about to leave when Maylin stepped up. She took Severus's arm and pulled him close. He embraced her and kissed her forehead. Maylin smiled and pulled his mouth to hers. The kiss was brief but perfect. He heard his little brother giggle in the background. Severus smiled as he pulled away. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you, too." Severus kissed her forehead again, "I'll see you soon." He then turned to the portkey and looked at his little brother. "Don't you start or I'll batter you."

Then the three brothers were gone.


	17. You Can Never Go Back Home Again

Look Ma! I can write Fan Fiction! Anyhoo I still own nothing and Oh! I have a **question,** hopefully one of ya'll will have an answer. I've been reading the ffnet for a while now and was wondering where you all find these neat little challenges. I'm not sure what I'm gonna write after this puppy is up and completed and those look like fun. So yeah, if you know where I can find that stuff (I googled it and all I got was porn) that'd be fan-damn-tastic. Ok enough of me more story. GO GO GO!

17 – You Can Never Go Back Home Again

Snape Manor sucked. It was too big. Too much stuff. Too many memories that he had been spending the last few months trying to forget. It even smelled old. The lighting was dramatic, big windows that should have brought in light were closed shut the day his mother died. For the last 3 years there was no light. There was nothing but big expensive furniture and a grand staircase, with its burgundy steps it looked almost comical. This hadn't been his home since his mother died. Maybe it could be his home again now that his father was gone. Snape shook his head. _Sell the damn place._

It was late Friday afternoon when the mourners came to visit. 'Just what this house needs,' Severus thought, 'more sadness.' Jack's young wife Maggie had put on an excellent display of food and service. Something Severus never thought she'd do for her father in-law; after all, she was a half-blood. She and his father never really had much to talk about. If her family hadn't been absolutely loaded the marriage probably would never had taken place.

Ashton had fallen asleep on the couch and Severus took the opportunity to step outside. It was colder than usual for spring, but he didn't mind. He worked his way through the socialites on his door step and ran smack into the tallest blondest man he had ever seen. Ludwig Malfoy took Severus by the shoulder and stuck his had out. Severus took his hand. "My deepest sympathies, young man, you're father will truly be missed."

Severus gave his half-hearted thanks and continued to his favorite spot.

On the side of the house sat an old twisted tree. The braches were low enough to climb and the foliage hung down like a tent. He had never seen another tree like it in all of Britain. It was his mother's favorite spot to read. The tree was just beginning to bloom and Severus sat on one of the low branches. He lit a cigarette and watched as a dark figure emerged from the house and turned to walk his way.

The man looked familiar but it wasn't until he reached the tree that he fully recognized him. Severus motioned to put out his cigarette, but the man held up his hand as if to say 'don't bother.' Severus nodded and took a drag with one hand shook his companion's hand with the other. He was an older gentleman. His life was controversial and for some reason he was one of his father's only friends that didn't make him want to jump out of his skin. He was smooth, rich beyond belief and for his age, which no one really knew, he looked damn good. Rumor had it he was the Hugh Hefner of the wizarding world. For a brief second Severus contemplated a career in magazine publishing.

"When Jack told me you were here I almost didn't believe him, but here you are all grown up and outside, looking as if you'd rather be somewhere else." Severus smiled sheepishly. The older man slapped his shoulder and sat on the tree next to him. He reached into Severus's breast pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He took one out and lit it. "These things will kill you Severus," the gentleman said with a grin. "The same could be said for you," he responded. The older man looked away.

"It's going to take more than a little tobacco to kill Tom Marvolo Riddle, son."

Severus didn't argue with the man.

"I was troubled Severus, when your father told me of your exploits over the summer. However, it must be difficult to see these people honor the man who threw you away. You have my deepest respects, for it seems you lost your father well before anyone conceived him dead. He wrote me a note saying he was considering taking you back. I assume he never sent it."

Severus nodded. "I don't think I would have come back. Since mum died, this place hasn't been home."

"Yes," Riddle agreed, "He took your mother's death quite hard. Sophia was a beautiful woman. I often wondered how you Snape's always end up with all the beautiful ones." Severus laughed under his breath.

"It must be our charm," he commented dryly.

Severus dropped his cigarette onto the dry ground. "Jack tells me there is a new love in your life? Is she as well bred as the previous girl?"

Severus furrowed his brow. "Well bred? She's not a Muggle if that's what you're asking."

"Well, son that's a step in the right direction."

"I suppose."

"What's her name?"

"Maylin." Riddles ears perked with a distinct sense of curiosity.

"Interesting name, does she have a last one as well?"

Severus nodded, "Maylin Amelia Hunter." Riddle's eyes seemed to widen with his words. "She's Landon Hunter's great-granddaughter."

"Now, that's a bloodline, Severus." He paused. "Is she beautiful?"

"Very."

"Well then it sounds as if you are on the road to redemption." Riddle stopped for a moment and thought to himself. He took his time before continuing the conversation. Severus felt as if he were being set up for something.

"It was commonly known that Landon's wife was a Seer. She doesn't by any chance share that family quality does she?"

"Why?"

"Well, Landon's wife went literally insane when she couldn't keep the voices out. It would be wise to know if your lady may have the same predisposition."

Severus nodded. "I read about that, May has been known to read a few emotional signals here and there, but nothing too out of the ordinary," he lied.

Maylin's nightmare's had for the most part quieted down but she was known to every once in a while sneak into Severus's bed. The close proximity of his mind seemed to work as a filter. He didn't mind, but he did worry.

Riddle sensed Severus's apprehension but continued to push the subject. "Well, as long as she can handle herself at that school, I suppose she should be fine...indefinitely."

"Indefinitely?"

"Well, it's usually just a matter of time before Seer's begin to lose a handle on all reality. When that happens-"

"May is fine, sir," Severus said indignantly.

"All I'm saying, son, is keep an open mind, especially if she finds that she cannot."

Severus squinted at the man curiously. Riddle dropped the subject and the cigarette. Their conversation continued about other, less obtrusive, topics.

Their chatter was soon replaced by salutations when Ashton emerged from the house crowded with people and on to the manor's lawn. He surveyed the land for his brother and upon finding him, crawled on to the low branch between the Severus and Riddle. Riddle bid them both farewell and made his way back to the house to "pay his full respects." Ashton waved goodbye and followed with the observation that Riddle's eyes weren't dark and that he didn't like eyes that you could see through.

"Maylin has blue eyes; you like her - don't you?"

Ashton quieted for a moment then responded. "But she's pretty."

Severus nodded with a smile and carried his little brother upside down back to the house.


	18. Slither

I own nothing...also this story is rated R for a reason, so beware your virgin eyes and such. Love the reviews – stuff's about to get wicked so bear with me. Enjoy! -_ D_

**18 – Slither**

Maylin's body curled under his touch. A faint smile escaped her sleeping lips as he slid his finger down her side. This is what she got for falling asleep on the couch. He continued to affectionately toy with her, his fingers twirled themselves into her hair. She almost seemed to purr with every light flicker of skin. Her face, her hands, her neck just seemed to invite his touch. His long finger traced her hip before ending with a light squeeze on her pale midriff.

She awoke with a start and left hook that could've killed anyone who wasn't ready for it. As Maylin rose from the couch Severus fell to his knees and circled backwards. Maylin peered over the back of the sofa and rubbed her eyes. A brief, confused and ambivalent "huh" was then met with a slow warm kiss. Her first instincts told her to pull away but the moment his lips touched hers, she knew who it was.

She pulled him deeper into her body until he lay above her caressing her hair with on hand and holding her back with the other. There was a rumor that Slytherin common room had the largest couches, at his height, Severus had to agree.

"I missed you," he whispered in her ear.

Snapping back into a kind of lucid reality Maylin hit his back softly and laughed quietly. "It's only been a day, you're home early. I wasn't expecting you."

Severus nodded and touched her face.

"I got kicked out again." Maylin cocked her curiously. "What do you mean?" Severus smiled. "Jack said I looked like I'd rather be dancing naked in Parliament then stay one more minute in that house. So, he sent me home."

"That was sweet of him."

Severus smiled, "I think so." He nuzzled softly into her neck and rested his head on her chest. He listened for the beat of her heart. It pounded softly into his ear; her breathing sounded of a gentle wind. He pulled her close and released his fingers over the curves of her hips. He simply couldn't stop touching her. She giggled under her breath and rested her fingers in his hair.

"Am I offending you?"

Maylin looked into his dark eyes. _No._

"In fact," she said aloud, "I've been looking forward to you being comfortable touching me." She pinched his arm and whispered. "I like it when you touch me."

Severus pulled himself from her embrace and raised a finger to her face. "That," he emphasized, "is the sort of talk what will get you in trouble, young lady."

"Severus -"

"Ah!" He interjected. "Don't try to talk yourself out of it. You've done it. May, you have officially turned me on." He smiled and ran his hand over her face and hair.

"I would want nothing more than to wrap myself around you. You're beautiful you know that?"

Maylin's eyes sang. "I do now."

Severus again lowered himself on to her body and pulled her close. He could hear himself talking to her in his head. It sounded like something out of a bad romance but yet it someone seemed to pour out of him. It was as if he had some bizarre agreement with the birthday card industry. He couldn't mind it but so much however, he was kissing her and she didn't seem to mind.

_ Actually_, he thought as Maylin's fingers raced down his waist, _it would appear as if she is after something_. _But what?__ She wasn't...no, not May, not so soon._

Her mouth pulled him deeper into her embrace. She was warm and her legs sneaked around his waist. He could feel her vibrate under his weight. She breathed heavily and the couch felt as if it were getting smaller.

_ Ok, Severus, you've done this before. This is good. This is a good thing – just don't get too excited._

Maylin's tongue moved slowly from his lips to his ear. She nibbled lightly and tightened her grasp around his body.

_ That did it. Oh, fuck woman._

Maylin stopped to laugh out loud. She pinched his arm and fell back into the couch. "I heard that!"

Severus leaned to his side and adjusted. "That's not fair. What's up there is private!"

"Well I didn't hear all of it Severus," she said smiling wickedly.

"What exactly did you hear?"

"Well," she teased, "it's not like I had to hear much." Maylin giggled and tugged lightly at his jeans.

He smirked and took her hand. "_That_ I can't help, and _that _is not my doing

alone."

She frowned softly and released her grip, "I'm sorry."

"No-no, it's um, it's fine, I just-" __

_ You just what Severus?_

He looked deep into her eyes, and all was lost within them.

"You're just a tough read sometimes, May."

Smiling she pulled him back close. "What do you _think _I want?"

There was a pause while Severus ran through his memory banks. She wanted a

carton of cigarettes because she had run out the night before, new boots, sex, the latest

Bowie album and one of those little things would light up when you forgot something.

Those were pretty cool.

"Severus?" He looked up from his thought. "Yeah?"

"What do you think I _want?" _He had to say something, why was he nervous? "Bowie!" he blurted. __

Her face twisted in amusement, "No, uh, - Sex....David Bowie and sex." He

nodded as the words came out. He knew he had the dumbest look on his face, but she

seemed to find it funny.

"You think I want sex with David Bowie?"

"What self respecting Briton wouldn't?"

"You really are a piece of work you know that?" Severus nodded. He knew what

she wanted and in truth he wanted it too. It was just that it seemed too sudden. This was

the sort of thing he wanted to plan in advance, have a week to make everything perfect. He was a fan of spontaneity but meticulous in the way he like things carried out.

He wanted her yes, but not like this on the couch of the Slytherin common room – not

like this so soon, what if she was playing with him. May wouldn't do that but, she as well

liked for things to go her way. She was the sort of girl who got what she wanted. He liked

that about her, no – he loved that about her. It just seemed strange to Severus that what

May wanted was him.

"May?" She loved the way he said her name.

"Hmm?"

_Turn it up Severus, _he though to himself.

His face gentled a bit, the confused look was replaced with one of curiosity. His

eyes soften around the edges. He bent down to her ear.

"Why don't you tell me what you want?"

Without hesitation she pulled him as close as she could manage.

"Take me upstairs."

Severus shivered helplessly and thanked the first three deities that came to mind.

It wasn't how he planned it, but if that's how she wanted it, by the gods, she was going to

have it.

He kissed her neck and pulled her up into his arms. She was so warm a part of

him didn't want to move. She raised to her knees and straddled his hips. He breathed her

in. Gods she tasted good. Her hands traveled quickly down his back to waistline of his

jeans. She tugged playfully and Severus rose to his feet. As he stood her body slipped

from his and he turned to guide her from the couch.

Then it hit him.

"Roomates!"

Maylin pulled him close again. One leg snaked around his, her lips to his ears.

"Ravenclaw twins. They're roommate is out of town, Holden and Max are quite

occupied."

She pulled herself from his body. She was now leading him.

When they reached his room Severus turned and hung a small sign on the door

knob, Holden had picked it up at in Hogsmeade on their last trip. It read, "Tea

Party." He locked the door.

Maylin turned to face him as they entered. The room was dark and smelled like

Max's incense. A mild lavender scent, prissy for such an astute pothead but sexy in its

own right.

Maylin and Severus moved dangerously close together. Her eyes leading him in

the darkness. She rested herself on his bed under the far window, the moonlight poured

over her skin. She was beautiful. Like a painted portrait perfect in every way. Her pale

skin and eyes lit up as if a kind of fire had been lit within her body.

Radiant.

He watched her move on the bed, her lips parted expectantly. "Come here." Severus stepped up to her side and sat next to her. One finger raced the line from

her face, to her neck, over her breast, and rested delicately on her waist. She smiled.

He bent down slowly over her body but instead of her mouth, placed his kiss between the

thin fabricate of her shirt and the smooth line of her jeans. She inhaled sharply as his

tongue lingered a moment over her skin. Her eyes closed and he moved above her. Her

knees bent around his hips and pulled him into the bed. They kissed unhurriedly almost

lazily, savoring every breath every shudder.

They rolled towards the window and Maylin sat above him, her legs wrapped

seductively around him. He moaned with anticipation. Her fingers moved up his chest

and one by one popped the buttons of his shirt free. She slip it off of his shoulders and

pulled it from under his back and tossed it somewhere in the darkness. A thin smile

emerged on her face as she traced her finger down his chest to the tight muscles on his

stomach. She giggled.

_I could do my laundry on that._

Severus shook his head on the pillow and pulled himself upwards to meet Maylin.

She sat back on his legs as he wrapped his arms around her back and methodically inched

up her shirt.

_Hands up, love._

Maylin beamed and raised her arms. Her shirt met his somewhere on the floor.

The bra was next and with a flick of his wrist slid off of her shoulders and in to the pile.

He laid back into the bed and glanced lovingly at her body. She began to move forward, a

hand on his jeans, when he stopped her. Her eyes questioned him.

"In a second, love, I want to look at you."

Maylin nodded and regained her place above him. After only a moment he

reached up for her. "Ok, I'm ready." Maylin purred as she lowered herself onto his naked

chest. "I've been ready." She whispered.

Her jeans proved more of a challenge to remove than her shirt but after coming

this far neither was about to let a little zipper get in their way. Finally after a good tug her

jeans disappeared as did Severus's. When at last they were together they moved under the

sheets and reached out for one another in the dark. They took their time breathing deep

with every kiss, every nibble. Her hair fell over her shoulders shielding her face from the

moonlight. She moved downwards and kissed him with a kind of passion that forced his

insides to scream with desire. He wanted her. He had known from the moment they met

that he would need her. But here in this bed, on this night he was desperate her.

Loving her was a beautiful torture and now that she was there in his arms, around

his waist, it was simply beautiful.

"I want to feel you," she urged. "You won't hurt me."

Severus touched her cheek. "Ok."

She was tight, and she was warm - Gods she was warm. They moved in a rhythm,

slow and shallow until her voice quivered in desperation. "I want to feel you more."

Severus obliged and rolled above her. He pulled her bottom upwards and pressed deeper

into her warmth. _Hips that could kill a man._ She moaned and breathed deeply, gasping

for a kind of coherency she realized left her the moment she had awoken. This was what

she wanted and as Severus held her close, she knew this was the only way she wanted to

have it.

His self control was fleeting but he wouldn't come until she was ready. He could

feel it rise in the heat of her skin, the staggering of her breath and finally the words

themselves. He couldn't make out all that she had tried to say but he distinctly heard his

name. In a wave of passion and need they released together all of the everything

they had ever want to say and be. Wrapped into a small world of one another, they

breathed a bit easier, and the hotness between them cooled to comfortable warmth.

Before either passed out they exchanged a final kiss and a word of love. In the

darkness and in the moonlight together they slept - they're dreams the first of many.


	19. Lost in a Day Dream

UTTER AND TOTAL RETARDATION! this chapter is what happens when boxed wine goes on sale! Do NOT drink boxed wine it will render you stupid, and please for the love of the gods do NOT watch VH1 I love the 80's whilst drinking said bottle of wine – you will die! and if you don't you'll write something stupid. actually this is a light hearted lead in to the rest of the not so light hearted story, stuff's about to get really fucked up. To my one totally kick ass reviewer thank you and don't say I didn't warn you. :-D aaaaaaand I own nothing. -D

19 – Notorious

They were at a concert. Queen maybe, he couldn't tell. He recognized the music, something about the rocking world going round. Yeah, it was definitely Queen. That voice, that beat. Freddie Mercury was most absolutely in the building...so where was he? They looked across the stadium, no Freddie. In fact, no nothing. There was music yes, but no band. Where was the band? They obviously paid for the show and while the music kicked ass, Queen was gone. "Fuck Queen!" he yelled. As his voice left him no less then 100,000 people turned and stared at him defiantly.

"You've done it now."

Severus turned to May. Legitimate fear crept to their faces. They ran up the aisle and out the door to the main promenade of the concert hall. They turned and locked the doors behind them. The pounding of a thousand hands rang in their ears.

"We're going to die here, May."

Just then a door slammed and before them stood the Queen Mother herself brandishing a large green light saber. She blocked their only hope of escape.

"Die here you will, yes!"

"Holy shit, Severus, the Queen's gone Yoda."

They reached for their wands and yet pulled from their pockets 2 more light sabers. The Queen advanced. The battle was furious, relentlessly she fought with all her little queenie strength. From the corner of promenade four men with axes on horseback arrived.

"Help here?!" The young couple cried.

The four men dismounted and removed their knightly head pieces. "The Queen's gone wonky again boys, let's go!" Severus and Maylin stood back as the mysterious knights surrounded the Queen. She shrilled with laughter before being completely overcome. Upon finishing their deed they turned to the pair they had rescued.

"She'll be back no doubt. Those Royals are terribly insane – they always come back."

"Who are you?" Maylin asked in wonder of the man's perfect hair.

The man stood proud. "I am Sir Simon from the Land of Le Ban! And we are the Knights of Duran from the Kingdom of Duran!"

"Duran! Duran! Duran!" the knights shouted in unison.

"We are but humble knights now, but one day we have ambitions of being the greatest of all rockstars! But alas, to this date no one has ever embraced our mediocre but out-right catchy-synth pop."

Maylin frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that – what sort of things do you write about?"

"Well, we wanted to write about the darker things in life. Broken hearts and tears but it seems that The Cure has already beaten us to it."

Severus chimed in. "Yes, their first effort while popular was a bit down trodden."

"I agree, Sev, perhaps you should right song about the things that make you happy. What turns you on?"

"Well you know, the normal things, jelly beans and pornography mostly."

"Why then I see no point in debating the subject, obviously you need to write a song about girls on film and no doubt you will be a huge success."

"Yeah," Severus continued, "and if you make the song about girls people won't think you're queer." "Severus!" "What? They won't."

Sir Simon pondered their advice. "Girls on Film? I rather like the ring to that!"

The Knights Duran nodded in agreement and mumbled the line to themselves before fading into the darkness. Maylin and Severus waved as the knights disappeared.

"You know, May, no matter what they write people are going to think they're queer. Did you see his hair?" "Yeah, I did."

They stood in silence surrounded by darkness. "So?" Maylin piped up. "Is this my dream or yours?"

Severus shook his head. I'm not sure, but judging by the Knights of Duran I'm going to assume it's yours." Maylin smiled. "Good! You up for pizza then?"

"Even in your sleep, May, I absolutely love you."

"Come on then. Pizza awaits."

The high morning sun woke him. Severus really didn't mind all that much, except to say that if those Duran Duran guys ever became famous he would have to most certainly hold that against Maylin for the rest of her life. He tightened his hold around Maylin and tried to convince himself that staying here was a much better idea than venturing out into the Hogwarts world. They slept in a weird puzzle piece design arms and legs overlapped. He raised himself up and felt the crick in his neck. _We're going to have to work on this._

He haphazardly rolled onto his back. He hadn't slept that good in months. He was going to have to keep this girl around. He smiled to himself and waxed ecstatic about 8 hours ago, how did he get so fucking lucky? He tried not to consider it for too long. He was half convinced that any given point he was going to wake up and still be on the train to school.

He needed a cigarette.

Stretching one last time he rolled and nudged Maylin. When she greeted him with a lazy smack to the head, he decided to leave her be for a bit while longer. He slid of the bed and stood up. He scratched his head and looked for their pile of clothing on the floor. His jeans had landed over a bed post. He grabbed some boxers from the "clean" laundry pile and pulled his jeans up and on. Saturday meant that no robes were necessary so he grabbed his favorite Stones t-shirt and his dark button down shirt. Boots laced and hair secured under his dark cowboy hat (_Jack sends the wonkiest presents)_, he unlocked the door and made his way to the Slytherin common room.

"By the Gods, it emerges!"

Severus smirked. "Morning Holden."

Max and Holden sat at the bottom of the steps. They looked almost too relaxed and still wore the same clothes Severus had seen them in the morning before.

"Good night, Severus?"

"Very."

"You?" Max nodded. "Can't complain. The door to the room was locked you know."

"Was it?"

"Yeah, how was your tea party?"

"It was good."

"Just good?"

Severus closed his eyes and laughed out loud.

"Nah...It was fucking great."

Holden looked over his shoulder. "You going outside?"

"Yup."

"Where's May?"

"Still sleeping."

"Uh-huh." Holden grinned upwards and punched Severus in the leg.

"You fucking dog."

Severus just shook his head and continued through the common room. Holden and Max joined him. The three of them finally felt they had something to talk about.


	20. Sympathy for the Devil

So yeah, Yet another person has been pulled into my furious web of fan ficiton! Mwahaha... and so on, Thank you for kind words and now on to the serious stuff, Keeping in mind the rating it's R, and rightfully so. If you have issues with abuse of a sexual nature I'd advise not reading this or at least try to keep an open mind to the characters and the situations I'm throwing them in. Again I own nothing yada yada yada, if you like it let me know, if you don't, then uh, that's cool too.-D

**20 – Sympathy for the Devil**

He had left her alone in this dream world. The Knights Duran had parted and in her dreams she smiled to herself. She had always been conscience of her dreams. Even as a small child when the voices began to creep in she would try to manipulate the outside dreams, twist them and turn them until they were her own. It worked for a while but as her mind grew so did the infiltration. Dreaming had become a chore. It had driven her great-grandmother insane. She would not let that happen to herself.

She walked aimlessly for awhile going over the events of the night before. She mused over her attitude. She was almost shocked over what she had done, however, she had been thinking about it ever since he first stumbled upon her that day on the train. She had always wanted it, to feel that closeness. When she met Severus she was finally able to say that she wanted to feel it with _that guy in the sunglasses._

She enjoyed sleeping late. There came a time when most of the people that surrounded her awoke and thusly, their minds left her alone. Their ability to hold a conscious thought meant her subconscious could finally have a rest. That's all she ever wanted really, just a break. She continued to wonder and paid no attention as her surroundings began to change. The once darkened room had transformed to that of a large library.

The bookshelves reached higher than she could see; there was no visible ceiling, only a pitch blackness that seemed to absorb everything it touched. The air turned cold. Maylin worried for a moment before eyeing a large door on the far side of the room. She ran to the door. Her bare feet began to ache on the icy floor. "Where the hell am I?" She placed her hand on the door knob but pulled away quickly. It burned. She didn't like where this was going. There was something creepy about the room she didn't trust. It was too real. She circled the room her fingers running over the spines of books. She couldn't read the titles. Something was wrong. She shook her head.

"Wake up May," she spoke to herself.

Nothing happened. She was still sleeping but perfectly aware. She was trapped.

"Wake up May!" She yelled louder, she felt her body stir but could elicit no other reaction.

"Dammit Maylin! Wake up!" She screamed into her own mind but instead of stirring she fell to the floor as a large wind gust blew her backwards. The wind spoke.

"Shh. Hush child, all that yelling you'll wake yourself up."

"Severus?"

The voiced laughed. "No, not Severus."

Maylin circled right then left. There was no one. She spun slowly around again and from the corner of her eye spotted a fireplace that had not been there moments ago. She ducked as she walked curiously towards the hearth. She placed her hand on the side and looked up. Nothing.

Then a fire blazed before her eyes. Smoke filled her lungs as she gasped for breath, her eyes burned.

"Careful child, were you never told not to play with fire." Maylin leapt upwards towards the voice. A figure had appeared; a man. He was tall; his eyes reflected the light of the fire. She saw nothing else.

"Who...who are you?"

The man laughed quietly.

"I am but a dream."

"Bullshit."

"Tsk-tsk, dear, such language, it's not proper for a lady."

Maylin shook her head. "It's not very gentlemanly to lock a stranger in a room and try to set them on fire."

"Ah, but I never said I was a gentleman."

"And I never said I was a lady," she spit back.

The figured appeared to smile. "Touché." Maylin stepped back as the man moved forward. "With an attitude like that, I'm not surprised at all to find you in Slytherin. It is a perfect fit after all, all things considered."

"What are you talking about?"

The man backed her into a wall of books. His voice grew cold. "What do you think I'm talking about you little bitch? I'm talking about who you are. What you can be. You've been placed in a house that can guarantee you a future of power. A future of prestige and wealth should you choose wisely enough to accept it."

Maylin eyed the figure before her. He was a man, older, her face was indistinguishable but she knew those eyes – an idea flashed through her but dismissed it as fast as it came. This was not her father. This was a fucking madman.

"A madman, am I?"

Maylin's jaw felt as if it had hit the floor.

"How did you do that?"

"How do you?"

"I don't know." The man smiled cunningly, "Oh, but you do."

Maylin panicked, this wasn't right. This wasn't real. She bit her tongue till she could taste the blood.

It was real.

"Let me out of here. Now! You can't keep me in here!"

"I will do with you as I please."

"Fuck you. You don't know me. You have nothing to do with me let me out!"

"Let me in!"

"No!"

He hit her. He hit her hard square in the face. She went to hit him back but he grab her by the wrists and ran her into the shelves. Her legs gave out under the strain and she fell to the floor. He hit her again, and held her face by her chin.

"Listen to me you little whore. Do not mess with me!" A tear formed in her eye and spilled down her cheek. She heaved in fear and pleaded, "I don't know who you are."

The man above her smacked her in the face held her chin so hard she could feel the bruise form.

"I am your father, and you will do as I say." He pulled up by her hair and through her on the ground before the fire. He pressed her onto the ground, the full weight of his body strangled her movement, he pulled at her garments and restrained her legs with his.

_This isn't happening...it's only a dream, it's not real._

"Oh but it is Maylin," he spat to her face. "And if all you have within you is fear, then I will have to teach you not to cry. The strong do not fear and the powerful do not cry," he hissed. He hit her once more before defiling her body within the confines of her own mind.

Severus, Max and Holden made their way back into the common room, laughing to themselves about some inside joke that, at this point, they themselves couldn't remember how it started. Max stretched and scratched his head. He was feeling particularly observant today and realized that it was most certainly lunch time.

"Hey Severus, get your woman out of the room, I need to change and eat."

Holden nodded, "Yeah, mate, I love May an' all but I have got to get out of these clothes." Severus nodded and made his way up the steps. Max and Holden followed. They reached their room and Severus just stopped. He stood outside the room his hand touching the door. His mind went blank – something was wrong. Holden stepped forward.

"Sev?"

He didn't respond.

"Sev?"

"Get Dumbledore."

"What?"

Severus didn't tear his eyes from the door.

"Get Dumbledore – Now!"

Holden turned away from the door and darted down the steps and out of the common room. Max aligned himself with his friend and together they pushed the door open. Within a half a breath they were by her side.

She was on the floor still naked from the night before, a small stream of blood tickled from her face. Her eyes tight together, her fists clenched above her head; she was crying. Max pulled a blanket from a near by bed and wrapped her as Severus pulled her into his arms. He called her name but she wouldn't awaken. Her legs were spread and she shook violently against a force neither one could see. She spasmed again and screamed. Severus pulled in and did his best to open his mind. In reality he had no idea what to do. When it came to Maylin's seer abilities he just sort of went with the flow, he never tried to penetrate her thoughts without firstly being invited. He quickly decided that that rule was one ready to be broken.

She twisted under the force, Max knelt by her side and held what he could.

"Can you reach her, Sev?"

He shook his no, "Can you?"

"I'm trying but I've got nothing."

Severus and Max continued to hold her as she flailed harder. They were losing control. Severus panicked and rammed his fist in to the ground. "Where the fuck is Holden?!" He demanded. "He's coming mate. He'll be here soon – here let me hold her. You concentrate on getting in there." Severus nodded. Max took the girl into his arms and Severus whirled to her side and tried opening his mind. He centered his thoughts on her. He could see her in pain but he tried to go beyond that. He reached for her hand and when he opened his eyes he saw her again.

It was a library. A fire blazed and before it to two figures struggled. He saw her eyes. She screamed for him.

He ran for her, the figure above her sensed his arrival and quickly pulled away. Severus dropped to her side and touched the blood on her face. She shivered. Severus looked up to the figured that stood before him. He pulled his wand from his pocket and held it up toward the figures head.

"Who are you?"

"So close and yet you cannot tell?"

That voice rang volumes in his ears. Severus stepped closer, the figure did not waver. He saw the figures face. Severus lowered his wand in disbelief. "No."

"No?" The figure laughed. "Oh, yes Severus. Yes – indeed."

"Why are you here!?"

"To teach her strength. If she is to be strong then she must learn not to fear. She fears me...you fear me."

"I do not fear you – I trusted you."

Severus held his wand high and circled the man. "How did you get here?"

"I merely looked for the most beautiful girl in Slytherin. She needs some work, but one day I think she will also become most powerful. She will serve you well."

Severus's nerves began to split with rage. His eyes slit and his voiced hissed.

"Get out."

The figured bowed deeply but his eyes never left Severus's.

"As you wish, Master Snape."

No sooner had the figured stood upright that Maylin's eyes opened wide. Alert she yelled helplessly. Max moved backwards and Severus pulled her close. She spoke between tears. "Who was that?"

Severus whispered in her ear as he held her tight. "His name is Tom Riddle, he was a friend of my father's."

"You...you know him?" Thick wetness fell down her face. Severus nodded.

"What did he want with you May? Why? What?"

"I don't know."

Snape wiped back the tears from her eyes. Dumbledore appeared in the doorway. Holden stood behind him. The old man's kind voice echoed in her ears.

"My child, what has happened here?"

Severus cut in, "Tom Riddle came for her, Sir...He hurt her." Maylin did not speak, she didn't want to speak but Dumbledore looked to her as if she didn't have a choice. "What did he say to you, dear? Why would he do this to you?" Maylin shrugged.

"He only said he wanted to teach me strength. Teach me not to cry." Dumbledore nodded. "Was there anything else, anything he indicated that led him to you?" Maylin looked up at the four concerned faces surrounding her. She didn't know what to say. She hurt so badly she didn't even want to be touched. "No," she lied, "he told me nothing."

Maylin was taken to the infirmary. No severe physical damage had been done but emotionally she could only be compared to train wreck. Severus sat by her side as he would do for many nights in the future just waiting for her to scream out into the night terrified. Sometime during her seventh year the dreams began to fade. By the time he had asked her to marry him, she had learned to finally sleep through the night. The night she left him she didn't sleep at all. The night she returned the only thing she could dream of was his touch.

That day in the infirmary he promised never to leave her, it was a silly promise – they were so young and yet, she believed him. "Wild horses, May." He kissed her forehead and held her close but hse never felt like she could be close enough, "Wild horses, got it," she whispered. It had been a vow. A vow she never wanted to let him break.

Looking back she wanted to believe him again. Her Grandmother once described Severus as tough to like but easy to love. Maylin believed that the same could be said of herself. She loved him. She always had and she always would. In truth, he never left her. He was always there, somewhere lurking in the shadows of memory. She couldn't help but smile when she thought of him. She couldn't help but curse herself when she thought about how it ended. She knew something was wrong. Something else had driven him away, perhaps it was fear, either way, Maylin had learned not to fear; it was the one thing her father ever taught her.


	21. And So It Goes

**Holla! Now is the time where things get nuts and they get nuts in the present, so wipe off all that 80s residue and let's party like it's sometime in the early 00's! Remember I own nothing and to answer on reviewer's question, Snape can apparate inside of Hogwarts because I was a retard and didn't post the edited version of that chapter when he just ran like Hell! It happens, sometimes I drink red wine, watch too much Aqua Teen Hunger Force and forget. But enough of me - have some filler!**

**-D**

**And So It Goes**

Winter quickly approached Hogwarts, the brown and gold of fall were suddenly replaced with the red and holly of the Christmas season. A thick blanket of snow covered the grounds of the famous school the week of final exams. Two groups of students lined the walkway in front of the main entrance of the school. On one side the Slytherins, on the other side, the Griffyndors.

"Hey Potter!" Yelled the Slytherin Draco Malfoy. Without thinking Harry turned to the direction of his name and was met square in the face by a high speed snowball. The ball threw Harry back into the snow. "Man down! Man down!"" cried Seamus Finnigan as he launched retaliation across the walkway. The snowball exploded on the chest of Malfoy's confidant Crabbe. Seamus, laughed aloud before taking a hit in the mouth.

The rules to this seemingly normal snowball fight were simple. After all, there was only one rule; no magic.

As the fight continued Professors Snape and Hunter crossed the grounds. They watched from afar as the Slytherins disappeared under a hail of snowball fire from the Griffyndor side.

"They're not nearly as good as we once were," commented Maylin. "Griffyndor

never stood a chance in our day."

"I agree," replied Snape, "their form is all wrong, Draco is trying to out-strength them, there's no strategy in that, even Longbottom is performing at a higher level than Young Malfoy."

"Damn that's depressing."

Snape suppressed a laugh and a smile. The last two months had been a mixture of happiness and torture. During the weeks after the Halloween Ball, Snape had worked nonstop trying to figure out Voldemort's next step in his fight for survival and domination. It had been weeks since Snape was summoned to the Dark Lord and intellectually he knew that meant serious trouble. He wanted to confide in Maylin the details of his mission. She knew he was a spy for Dumbledore, which lightened matters a bit, but there was so much more. She had no concept that he knew of pertaining to the Order nor did she know the full extent to the deal he had with the Dark Lord. Then again, no one knew about that particular deal.

Snape's relationship to the Dark Lord was convoluted at best. He had returned to Voldemort "willingly" in accordance to Dumbledore's orders. But Voldemort had already known of Snape's deception. How could he not, he plastered himself to the back of a former Hogwarts professor's head for a year. He had sent a most loyal servant to work in Hogwarts during the TriWizard Tournament. Snape knew that going back meant certain death if he could not convince Voldemort that he had only been acting out of fear of Dumbledore and in turn, truly spying for the Dark Side until Voldemort's return. After all, they had a deal. That damnable deal.

It wasn't difficult at first to convince the Dark Lord of his loyalties. He was of course, humbled by Voldermort's generosity, for not killing him upon first sight. His mission had been very give and take from the get go. From Dumbledore, Snape would received tailored information pertaining to the Order's plans, feed them to the Dark Lord, and when attacks occurred, the Order was at least prepared. In return, Snape was welcomed back into Voldemort's inner circle; Dumbledore had even lost certain confrontations in order to keep Snape's cover.

However the addition of Maylin Hunter to the equation had truly stirred things up. Why Dumbledore had brought her in was boggling to Snape and, at times, it hurt him. Not here, not now. Then again, Dumbledore didn't know everything. Dumbledore had no idea about he and Voldemort's deal, only that Snape had shown up at Hogwarts the night of James and Lily Potter's deaths, out of his mind, his son dead and his wife no where to be found, with a Dark Mark on his arm and a blood alcohol level that would shatter world records. He was broken, and when he begged for forgiveness, Dumbledore believed him. Maylin hadn't even given him that. But perhaps, on some level she was beginning to understand, and regardless of the obvious danger, Maylin and Snape continued to grow closer together. They could never show it with the students hovering around them constantly whispering and wondering. She was beginning to trust him again, slowly but surely, and for now, Snape could handle that.

Snape watched the horrible display of snow fighting a moment longer before turning back toward the warm castle. As he turned a numbing coldness struck his face. Snow blasted into his eyes, nose and mouth.

Snape's temperature rose. His eyes squinted with fury as he whipped his body around to face the two terrified groups before him.

Standing like a frozen statue, his lips quivering eyes wide, Neville Longbottom at 15 years old, shook to try and keep from crying in fear.

"Longbottom," hissed Snape. His sallow skin seemed to grow paler as his anger rose.

_Severus. _Said a sing-song voice in his head.

Snape paused for a moment. Turned and faced Maylin with the same fury as he had shown Longbottom.

"Excuse you, Professor," bit Snape, "but I'm perfectly capable of handling any situation I choose in any manner I choose without interference from you."

_Just don't kill him, alright. _She shot back.

"I'll kill him if I damn well please!" yelled Snape aloud as he approached the boy.

Snape stood in front of Neville. On the other side of the walkway the group of Slytherins snickered. "Silence Slytherin." Snape's voice was smooth, low and absolutely creepy. Malfoy and his cohorts quickly ceased all jabber. Snape stared down at the trembling Gryffindor. He placed his hands upon his waist cocked his head to one side.

"Where did you learn to throw like a girl, Longbottom?"

Neville didn't answer, though several of the Griffyndor girls wanted to jump in and give Snape a piece of their minds. Maylin rolled her eyes.

"Did you ever learn how to properly handle yourself in a winter combat situation, Merlin as witness, young man, if you cannot even throw a simple goddamned snowball just how the hell do you intend to defend yourself against serious dark arts?"

Neville continued to tremble, though he managed to sneak out an, "I don't know, Sir."

"Honestly, Longbottom I don't know why I waste my time with you."

Longbottom looked down ashamed.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for bad form."

The whole group of Gryfindors stood stunned. Their all ready swollen disgust of Severus Snape quickly back up on the rise. Snape glared over the group and slowly bent down into the snow and picked up a handful of the chilly whiteness.

"For future reference, Longbottom," said Snape slyly. "It's all in the wrist, you know." And with that Snape turned and launched the ball of snow at his own house. Before he could duck, the snow smashed Draco Malfoy in the face knocking him over into the snow.

Snape nodded in satisfaction and turned swiftly to Maylin.

"I dare say you'll be hearing from Lucius about that one."

Snape snorted. "Well, someone has to parent that child; it might as well be me. He's not really a bad kid you know. He stopped by my office earlier, girl problems, father problems, fifteen years old problems. He'll grow out of it."

"Severus, have you lost your mind? He's a rude, loud, loves to hear himself talk, pompous, bitter, and -"

"Fifteen?"

"Well, yes, fifteen, but -"

"He's fifteen."

"Well yes, but Severus-"

"Well yes, but Severus has to go downstairs and grade papers. And then we have that god awful meeting tonight."

"Staff meeting?"

"No, May, the meeting, meeting, Sirius Black and I in the same room not talking to each other meeting."

"Sirius Black?" Maylin squinted her eyes over the snow. "Professor I have no earthly idea what you are talking about."

Snape walked Maylin to the steps of the Hogwarts side entrance. He brushed down his over coat and shook the snow from his pitch black hair. He inhaled deep through his mouth.

"May, do you even read your mail?"

"I don't trust the mail."

Her face actually looked relatively serious.

"Fair enough. Well then, tonight, after lights out in Dumbledore's office. The Order is meeting to discuss the apparent absence in Voldemort since the last month."

"The Order?" Maylin's confused face stared into his serious face. "Severus, are you on drugs? You just said you were going to sit in the room with a serial killer and that I was going to have to sit there with you."

Snape thought for a moment. "You mean to tell me, May that Dumbledore hasn't clued you in on anything yet?"

Maylin shook her head. "Are you insinuating that I'm a mediocre seer and that what's going on is as plain as the nose on your face?"

Snape sent a sneer her way and reconsidered. "Yes, that is precisely what I'm saying."

"Well then, I'll be there, have fun in the dungeon." Maylin smiled and pinched Snape's arm.

"Oh!" She chirped turning away from the door. "What are you up to this evening _after_ this so called meeting?"

Snape sent a small smile her way. "I believe I'm free actually, all caught up for once. Why do you have _something_ in mind, professor?" His face tensed seductively. Maylin teased back.

"Well, perhaps you'd like to have a drink?"

"Or five?"

"Or five, yes, and then maybe we can get find excuses not to be around in the morning."

"That may just be the best idea I've heard all week, professor." His voice was so smooth it nearly killed her to turn away. "My place or yours, Sev?"

Snape leaned on the wall of the castle. "Yours."

"Nice, well then, love, is anyone looking?"

Snape looked over his shoulder and then turned and smiled back.

"Not a soul, for once."

"Good," she replied and kissed him softly on the lips. They parted silently and Maylin slipped inside the castle door. Severus shook his head then immediately winced in pain. "Dammit."

The Dark Mark on his arm had just begun to burn with a pain so intense he swore it bled. This meant only one thing. He was in trouble.


	22. Message in a Bottle

**Bless my stars an update! Stuffs about to kick into high gear so if you've been reading all along questions will be answered the story is finished so now it's up to my lazy ass to remember to post. If you like it let me know, I might write a sequel or something but only if there is some kind of demand – otherwise I'm just talking to myself...again...profusely....................HEY LOOK A CHAPTER!**

**22 - Message in a Bottle **

Maylin walked gingerly back to her office; the cold had seeped into her skin pushing her just a wee bit faster to the warm confines of her workplace. She removed her coat and sank into the soft whirly chair she had sent from her New York office. She missed New York. The lights, the assholes, the constant back and forth of people and things. She missed disappearing into nothingness every time she stepped out of the subway line. She even missed the fucking subway line. She missed the smell of urine and fresh cut flowers on the sidewalk quick shops. She longed for her favorite cup of 50 cent coffee and eight dollar cigarettes. She missed the Muggles. She missed how no one cared. Now, forced to deal with all the things she tried to bury under countless paper piles of work and lost tourists, she was alone. She knew that she would never be truly alone but the pain of remembrance hurt her as much as it strengthened her.

He was a Death Eater. He turned his back when she needed him most. He hurt her. Sitting over her stacks of parchment, Maylin could not deny that she loved him. Deep down she knew she still trusted him. But there was something else keeping her a step behind.

He never spoke of the night she left him. He admitted that he worked for Voldemort, but instead of begging for forgiveness, he shut down. No words, no caring thoughts, he was filled with nothing. For what seemed like days she screamed and cried. She left him standing helpless and stone faced over the body of their child. The last thing she said to him before that night in the banquet hall continued to run through her mind.

"How could you?" She snapped with the bitter wind. "How could you stand by the side of evil? How can you stand there and feel nothing?" In her memories he looked into her eyes and for only a moment a single tear ran down his now weathered face. He said nothing, his mind blocked from hers, he turned and walked away. "It's like you never loved me," she yelled behind him. "It's like you never loved us!" His feet crunched on the frozen grass. "I hate you, Severus Snape - I hate you!" Severus Snape walked away. A second tear fell from his eye and he never spoke to her again.

Shaking her head, Maylin thoroughly read the lines of her latest assignment. It seemed to her that, for the most part, all of her students were performing at an acceptable rate. And, with the fifth years' O.W.L.'s coming up, that was a pleasing thought to her.

Maylin picked up her wand. "Melodius."

Music picked up in the background. It was a form of classical music, light and airy. Maylin shook her head. And the music around her seemed to automatically change station.

_Baby, I can't stay, you got to roll me  
And call me the tumblin' dice. _

Rolling Stones, can't complain. Many a good times had to them. She'd by the band a round if she wasn't convinced that it just may kill them. She reminded herself to ask Severus what potion they had been feeding Keith Richard all these years. At this point in time he was most certainly not naturally aging; he'd have been dead by now. Thumbing through papers and scratchy penmanship Maylin was distracting by the yelping of what sounding like a bird.

Facing the door, Maylin heard a slight thud, and then silence. She glanced down at her papers but again, _thud_. Shaking her head, she moved from behind her desk, maneuvered across the room and opened the door.

A small pitch black carrier owl stood at her doorway. No more than a foot high it stared up at her with its large dark eyes. Maylin almost expected the creature to introduce itself. She poked her head out the door, looked left, then right, and then back at the funny little owl. It blinked and cocked its head to the side. Maylin opened the door fully. "Well please then, make yourself at home."

The owl stared for a moment blinked and flapped its way across the room and landed gently on her desk. Maylin shook her head again, this time making sure her brain was still in the right place. Taking a second to stare at the owl sitting quite comfortably on her desk, Maylin closed the door and started back the head of the room.

Placing herself in the chair she faced the owl and folded her hands on the desk. The owl stared back.

"So then - bird, what can I do for you?" The owl rustled its feathers for a moment and out of its thick coat produced a small rolled piece of paper. The owl placed it on the desk, picked it up with its beak and dropped it into Maylin's hand. Her eyes opened wide. "Thank you," she said nodding. The owl seemed to bow before her before taking to the air. It hovered before the window and before she could stand to open it, the panes flew open and bird disappeared. "What a lovely creature." She closed the window and turned to face her grading. The wind from the owl had done little damage to the haphazard organization she already had before her. Placing her things back in semi order Maylin sat back read the handwriting on the outside of the small rolled parchment. Her name was written in Snape's small yet fine handwriting.

_May,_

_I have been summoned to Voldemort and I believe that it may be a while before I return. It seems that I must cancel our drink or five. I don't wish to sound grave but I think there may even be a chance I will not return at all. Should this be the case I've left something for you in my chambers. When you have the chance - please, take a look. I want you to know that these last few months have been lovely. To say that over the years I had not missed your warmth, your companionship and your mind would be a lie. Despite what we may think ourselves to be to one another, I have always loved you. You may never understand why I did what I did. You may never understand that what I did was the only way I could guarantee that at least one thing I loved wouldn't whither away and die. For almost fifteen years I've had to live with the knowledge and consequences of my actions. I hope that tonight you will finally understand. For all the pain I've caused; I'm sorry. And for all the suffering you never knew; I forgive you. For years I've wanted to sit by your side and tell you everything I'd done and why. But to do that would put you in an imminent and unbearable danger. Myself I could live without, but I could never risk you. You are my every dream, my favorite song, my favorite time of day. I could never tell you the things that have burned us for years...Now, I will simply show you. I love you, May. I always have, and through the light and darkness I will always love, and steadfastly always be in love with you. Wild horses, May. I love you.___

-_Severus._

As she rolled out the rest of the parchment, a thin piece of silver string fell into her hand. A memory. Startled by the suddenness of what she had just read, she breathed deep and fell back into her chair.

_What could possibly make him believe he wouldn't come back? What the fuck is he doing there in the first place? Why the secrecy? Why the bird? Suffering? Pain? Apologies? What the hell is going on?_

Moved and frustrated Maylin stood up from her desk. She couldn't think. She paced for a moment, her hand shook. She wanted to see the memory and at the same time, she didn't want to see a damn thing. She didn't know what she wanted. Wiping her eyes and without intention she opened her locked desk drawer with her fingertip and summoned the pack of cigarettes she had snuck in from her last trip to London. She carefully opened the window to face the crisp wintry afternoon. She calmly lit her cigarette and sat on the sill one leg in one leg out. _Just like high school._

Thoughts drifted from her mouth in a thin plume of smoke intertwining with cool breeze. Leaning her head back into the window she glanced over the trees of the Forbidden Forest. It was beautiful. The perfectly structured landscapes hidden beneath a thick blanket of snow. The lake shrouded in an icy haze. Children below threw snowballs and made snow angels in the ground. She hated knowing their innocence. These children, she thought, had no idea of the danger outside of these protected invisible walls. Of course they told stories and gossiped about the dangers of the world around them, many had even witnessed the fear first hand, but it was nothing compared to the war raging outside of Hogwarts. Even if the battle between Voldemort and the rest of the Wizarding World found its way here, these children had protectors to fight for them, die for them. Once they left here they'd be sent off on their own. They were all so young. Even the oldest among them were still so young. The world out there, Muggle or magical didn't care about their hopes and dreams. The world out there would never stop for a moment to let them rest. But why should these children be any different? There was no net for those before her, no net for her when she needed it most. There would be no net for the innocent just as there has never been a net for the guilty.

She thought back to Severus's words. He forgave her. She left him, and he forgave _her_. Something was going on, someone was coming.

_Knock. Knock._

Maylin faced the door. "Who is it?" she called.

A moment of silence. _Not another bird._

"It's Harry ma'am."

Maylin smiled. _It's open, Dear._


	23. Gimmie Some Truth

**Update-tastic and with only a few minutes till the NFL preshow (GO PACK GO!!) it's time to put a lot of stuff in context. I was an English major...I like context. This chapter is less filling than I recall and a lot of information. OK enough of me I own nothing yada yada...storytime! literally. -D**

**Gimmie Some Truth**

Harry Potter stepped cautiously inside the office. The walls lined with trinkets of the Muggle world. Things he recognized. He had never been to his professor's office before but, all the same, he felt right at home.

Maylin still sat in the window, her cigarette dwindling.

"Come on over, Harry. I don't bite."

Harry smiled and stood before her desk. He said nothing.

Charmed by his politeness Maylin, gestured for Harry to sit in her chair. "It doesn't bite either." Harry smiled and came around the desk. He sat meekly in the chair and stared up at the woman before him.

"Does anyone know you smoke?"

"Are you going to tell my boss?"

"No."

"Then, yes, some do. Dumbledore caught me a million times years ago. He said it was a filthy habit, I told him he had more important things to worry about."

Harry smiled weakly.

Maylin closed off her mind. She wanted him to talk to her. "Does it bother you? I'll put it out; I'm old enough to buy more." Harry shook his head no.

Maylin lit up another but turned toward Harry. She surveyed his face, his scar, his eyes. Those were Lily's eyes. Maylin turned on her mother voice.

"Harry, Dear, what's bothering you?"

Harry fidgeted for a moment. He looked tired, not full of energy like he did earlier. Something was indeed going on.

"My scar hurts."

"I hear that's become relatively normal now what with Voldemort up to who knows what."

"It is - except, this is different. It doesn't feel like pain. It feels like sadness."

Maylin motioned for Harry to sit by the window. She tossed her cigarette onto the grounds and rolled up her sleeves. Harry sat next to her. She looked into those familiar eyes and placed her hand on his forehead. It was warm, but not feverish. Maylin removed her hand. "I hear you're having visions at night, dreams involving the plans of Voldemort."

Harry nodded his face a little confused. "Are you part of the Order?" Maylin shrugged. "I'm not really sure, honestly. I have my first meeting tonight. I can only assume that I've been invited. Besides, I've been a bit AWOL."

Harry pulled down on his sweater. And looked up into Maylin's eyes, a trait she enjoyed from young people. "Professor, did you know my mum?"

The question broad sided her, she blinked and tilted her head. "Why do you ask?"

Harry shrugged. "It's silly."

"Harry," Maylin interjected, "Nothing is silly."

Harry faced the floor as he spoke. "I had a dream last night. It was about my mother. And you were there. You were holding a baby - but the baby was dead. And you were crying. My mother stood beside you holding me. You got down on your knees and the baby was gone. My mum sat beside you and you told her a secret. I was standing there watching all of this happen and I turned and there was a man walking away. He turned back and it was Snape. He looked really young and my father went after him. But they disappeared. I looked back you were holding me and you were saying something." Maylin's face was stone still. Her eyes fixed on the boy in front of her.

Her voice faint but firm, "What was I saying?"

Harry closed his eyes and tried to remember. It was a poem.

_A chain unbroken, bind thee to life. _

_ One scar for many, cursed in strife. _

_ For pain, for evil, left lone to thrive_

_ A love to give, a life to survive." _

Maylin's eyes opened widely with amazement. Momentarily placed her hands on her face and then opened them again to face the boy before her. Bewildered, Harry lowered his head. "There's more," he told the floor. _More?___

Maylin softened her voice. 'How much more, Dear?" Harry looked up. "You said a word. And when you said it, that's when my scar began to hurt. It was like this thick patch of sadness that just wouldn't go away. Professor," Harry paused. "I don't think I can handle this anymore." A silent tear fell down the young man's face. He didn't whine or complain, he didn't even cry really. He just didn't understand. _And why should he? _

Maylin stepped to her desk and knelt before Harry. She lightly kissed his forehead and wrapped her arms around him. Cradling his head on her shoulder she realized just how much he had grown.

"I knew your mother well." Harry didn't move his head.

"How well?"

Maylin smiled. "She was my best friend."

Harry pulled out of her hold and looked her in the eyes. "Do you know something, Professor?"

Maylin laughed out loud. "Of course I know something Harry." She composed herself and spoke with an air of concern. "The question is do you really want to know the things I know? There's a lot swimming around in here," she said pointing to her head.

Maylin sat back against the wall under the window. She reached up behind her and grabbed another cigarette. "You don't smoke, right?" Harry shook his head "no."

Maylin nodded. "Good kid."

She lit her smoke and thought for a moment. _Voldemort can see into Harry through the bond of the scar. Harry can do the same, but Voldemort is stronger._ _Voldemort thinks that Harry may have the spell that nearly killed him. But I have it. But his dream? Something from Voldemort. No. Voldemort would be after me. But – Voldemort called on Snape. Snape knows. But he would never tell. Or would he? No. But. Maybe. But – damn. If Harry knows, he can open his mind. Then Voldemort would know. He would change his direction. Leave this kid alone – Maybe. _

Maylin eye's went straight to Harry's scar. _A glitch in the spell.__ The spell binds them. That's why they both lived. They're bound that's why Harry didn't die, couldn't die, he was protected then they were connected, that's why Voldemort didn't die, he was protected and Harry wasn't strong enough to deflect the spell with enough power to kill Voldermort, – _she scorned herself sarcastically,_ fucking brilliant, May_.

"Harry?" Maylin asked still staring at his forehead.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

Yes ma'am."

"Good then, it's story time."

"Will there be a quiz?" Harry smiled.

Maylin smiled back, "No dear, no quiz. Just context."

Maylin settled into her place on the floor.

"My mother died when I was young, I was three. After her death I went to live with my aunt, a squib in the outskirts of London. Your mother lived but two doors down. When she about ten she left for a boarding school. I had no idea at the time that it was Hogwarts. But to my surprise I also received a letter, it was from my grandmother; a woman I had never met. She said that conventional schooling no longer held a place for me and it was only with her that I would receive the proper training to be the woman I would one day become.

So I left my home, the family I knew, and for the next five years I lived in a cottage in the southern foothills of Ireland. My grandmother gave me a wand. It once belonged to my mother and it was the perfect fit. I learned everything I would have at Hogwarts through her and in the summers your mother visited. She would talk about all the things she had learned and we wondered why I had never gotten my letter.

But, unlike Hogwarts, my Gran taught me things not written in textbooks. She taught me the power of the mind – how to see through into thoughts. She taught me art not just of spell casting, but of spell crafting. Spell craft is specialized schooling only fit for those who have passed it down through blood. An art, she said, I would never learn at a wizardry prep school.

I was never to speak of this art to anyone. The time would come she said to introduce new spells. As the world changed, so would our needs. And a powerful spell in the wrong hands could destroy more easily than facilitate good. I would know when the time was right.

I took my O.W.L.'s from her kitchen table and not three months later I received my letter. I entered Hogwarts in my sixth year and much to my chagrin and surprise I was placed in the Slytherin House. Lily was convinced it was something to do with my father. I too believe this is true.

I had several close relations in my own house, but Severus Snape -"

"You're married right?" Harry cut in looking up from the floor.

Maylin stared inquisitively. "How – ?"

"Do I know?"

"Yes."

Harry smiled. "We all know, Professor. Most of our parents were there, Mrs. Weasely even sent pictures of your wedding. Looked like a lot of fun actually. The whole school knows but, it's not like we were going to say anything. The two of you might've of killed us. Draco told the school about the two of you not being together. Because of your son and all." He paused. "I guess he didn't even want to bring it up."

"Huh, so Draco did something smart for a change." She ran her hand through her hair. "How long have you...the school apparently, how long have you all known?"

"Since the first owl mailing after you fell through the roof."

Maylin lit another cigarette. Harry said nothing, he just stared mouth slightly agape. Maylin smiled at the boy. "He was lot different back then. Severus, I mean. We both were." She nudged Harry, "He was really hot too."

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's really just gross, Professor."

Maylin nudged him again.

"So what happened, Professor?"

Maylin breathed deep.

"Well, one night all things changed. The power of the Dark Lord began to rise and Severus as I'm sure you know, as you seem to know much, stood by his side. I have no explanation for that though I feel one has found itself my way. Regardless, in one night, my son – our son, William, was dead. I was ordered to join the side of Voldemort. I refused and they left me to die and think it over. When Severus appeared he fed me a potion and confessed his allegiance. To say I was in shock, would be a vast understatement. He stood there as they removed the body of our son. Furious, hurt, lost betrayed, you name the pain, I felt it - I found myself on the doorstep of your parents.

I told them what happened. James left to find Severus, I can only imagine it was to beat the living Hell out of him. But that evening I held you. Asleep and unassuming, I decided that at least one child deserved to live. I created a spell for you. A simple spell to return a deadly curse to its original source. I gave it to your mother and father. I gave it to you. I only stayed a few days."

Maylin's thoughts trailed.

"Remember Holden from the beginning of the term?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, that whole bar thing, with the slicing and the dicing? After my son died I was handed new orders by the Ministry. I was ordered to protect a group of wizards they felt were prime candidates for Voldemort. I lasted one day on that job. I had had enough. That was the night before your parents were killed. I left England the morning your parents were attacked. I don't know why they died and you lived. The spell wasn't supposed to work like that. I can only assume that I missed something when I created it. Whatever it was, I believe your mother found it. I have a pretty good idea what it was."

Harry scratched his head awkwardly and raised his voice. "Is that why Professor Snape hates me so much? Because, of you son?"

Maylin pushed herself to knees, leaning into the boy.

"I think it has something to do with the fact that you're a constant reminder of what he lost. And he lost – everything." Harry understood. "But no, I really don't why."

"Harry, if Voldemort gets a hold of the spell, those simple words can return him to full power. All he needs is a starting place."

"The words from my dream." Harry made the connection.

Maylin nodded. "Harry, do you remember what I said in the dream. The actual words, not the poem?"

Harry shook his head 'no.'

"Good," Maylin said standing. She took one last drag of her cigarette and tossed it out the window. "Think of what I've told you, think of those words, do not try to remember them, only that _I _said them. Let Voldemort know that I have spell, that it is me he wants, not you."

A weight lifted from Harry's chest. "Yes ma'am. Thank you ma'am."

Maylin smiled.

"No trouble, Dear. It's time I take credit where credit is due, Come'ere."

Harry leaned on her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around the boy. She was comfortable to him, warm like he had always imagined his mother to be. He buried his face in her hair and breathed heavily. He felt like a little child. He had always known that people on the outside cared about him but he never felt something like this. Her willingness, her openness, it just felt, unconditional, genuine.

"Professor?"

"Yes, dear?"

"What did you really do with the Ministry? Were you like, an Auror?"

Maylin smiled and laughed to herself.

"Sort of. When I left England and moved to America I found myself dealing with a whole new mess and breed of Dark Lords. I'm trained to track down and dispose of wizards who in many cases down even know they're wizards. Where I've gone there are no wands, no spells, just magic out of control and manifested in some of the most horrible people on Earth. Wizards beyond rehabilitation - murderers, power hungry and disturbed souls. The last one I put down was a child – well, he was 20, so sick and uncontrollable with the rage and magic inside of him. He killed both of his parents and sisters. His town thought it was some kind of demon possession. But it was uncontrolled magic. That's why we have places like Hogwarts. Without a place like this, the Wizarding world would be nothing but chaos and death."

"Is that why you have a gun?"

"They don't carry wands in America. But they're starting too – slowly."

Harry undug his face and looked at his teacher. He smiled at her. She smiled back. Harry stood from her side and she followed suit.

"Tell no one outside the Order what I've told you. I'm trusting you." Maylin placed her hand in her pocket and touched the memory. She moved toward the door.

"I have to go Harry. Remember, let Voldemort find me, please close the door when you leave." Maylin grabbed her long coat from beside her desk and headed to the door. She opened it.

"Professor!" Harry cried. Maylin spun like a top.

"Yes, Dear."

Harry stopped again and put his hands in his pockets. He spoke slowly.

"Professor Hunter, why do you help me? I mean, there was no way to bring your son back. And now, everything is crazy, but, I don't know. I guess, I just don't get why you're so bent on helping me. I've done pretty good so far on my own."

Maylin leaned lazily on the edge of the doorway. She pulled a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's my job to watch after you, Harry, and it's a job that I've put off far too long."

"But, why?"

Maylin smiled, "Because, Dear, what else would you have your godmother do?" Maylin

winked Harry's way and then raced down toward the dungeons.


	24. This Could Be The Last Time

**Again with ownership thing, I own nothing. Now's the part of the story where you have to pay attention because it's all about to explode. Again, if you like me, tell me – You're running out of time!!-D**

**This Could be the Last Time: Part 1**

Black and white like an old movie, a dream? No, just a memory.

He woke up next to her. A sound woke him up. A cry? A whimper? Something. William? Wearily he pulled himself from the bed and picked up the baby monitor next to him. Soft fuzz emitted from the speaker. _How do wizarding families live without one of these? _He chuckled to himself and replaced the tiny blue piece of plastic on the bedside. Nothing felt out of the ordinary, but still he stepped out of the bedroom and into the small one to his right.

The window to the room was open, Snape panicked only for a brief

moment, he closed the window and peered into the crib. Sure enough, sitting

up in his crib looking quite content to keep sucking on his Big Bird blanket, William John Snape smiled up at his father. "You and that smiling thing of yours," he said quietly to his son. William reached up and his father responded accordingly. Williams chubby face and dark eyes were only accented by the large smile he had learned only a few months ago. "You smile like your mum, you must get it from her." Severus cradled the boy against his shoulder. The child was a bit warm but not too warm. Still, it was enough to tap mum on the shoulder for her expert advice.

Severus began to move from the crib. "Bih-Burd." William's face turned momentarily pouty, "Dah-dah, Bih-Burd," one little finger pointed over Snape's shoulder and back to crib. "You want Big Bird, William?" The little boy's head nodded in large waves of satisfaction. "Alright, get it." And with that Severus turned the boy upside down and held him by the heels. The boy laughed and giggled as he fished for his blanket. The only game the boys played when mommy wasn't around. "Get it, get it, get the bird." William laughed, that too was a new addition to his vocabulary. "Dah-dah-dah-dah-BURD!" William squealed with delight. Severus flipped the child towards him again and kissed him on the forehead. "God, you're such a good kid, I love you, you know that?" With big head nods, the baby confirmed. "Let's go wake up mommy." William nodded again.

"It's too late, boys. The deed is done. With all that squealing who could've slept through that?" Severus stepped toward Maylin. He kissed her lightly. She was so beautiful when she was tired. Tousled and disoriented was a thousand times sexier than prim and proper. "We were just trying to find a decent and loving way to wake you up, right William?" Head nods.

"Naked pool boy would've been fine."

"All out love, you'll have to settle for the half naked pre-med and his two foot tall babe magnet."

"Muh-muh." William giggled.

"I wasn't talking about you, William."

Maylin sighed and pinched her husband on the arm. "I swear you two will be the death of me." Maylin walked back into her son's room and sat in the rocking chair. "So is he sick?" She asked reaching for her son. "He's running a slight fever-" "-So you turned upside down?!"

"No, May, well, yes, but either way I wanted your opinion before I hopped over to the Shop."

"Are you out of fever reducer?"

"I guess his cold from last week drained my home supplies. I thought I had more, but it wasn't like I had much here anyway. This window was open, I'll seal that tomorrow."

Maylin placed her hand on the boy's forehead. "He doesn't feel hot, Sev."

Severus crouched down beside her. He held her tired hand and placed it on the boy's back. Immediately, she felt the heat rise. "Ok, I'm convinced. How long are you going to be?"

"Not too long."

"Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Great big no, my love."

"Good, then we can do Christmas cards."

Severus bowed his head. "May," he paused. "What happened to the rebellious out of her mind sex goddess I married? The May I married doesn't do Christmas cards."

"Well she does now, and so does her sweet loving supportive husband." Maylin's voice grew jokingly forceful.

"Do I look like James Potter? No. Because I brush my hair and I don't do Christmas cards."

"What about your Christmas spirit?"

Severus paused and pointed to William.

"He took it." Maylin gave the face.

"Tell her, William; tell muh -muh who doesn't do Christmas cards."

William looked up at his mother, "Dah-dah."

Maylin made the face again. "You're treading incredibly deadly waters Mr. Severus Snape."

Severus smiled at Maylin. He rolled up toward her, covered their son's eyes and kissed her deeply. "I love you. I'm just joshing you. You can have all the cheer and joy in a box you want." Maylin shifted smugly in the rocking chair. "That's what I thought. Now hurry up you git or I'll be forced to purchase one of those horrid lit up rotating reindeer."

"You wouldn't." "Go, Severus, go." Flu powder. "Kackles Apothecary." Smoke puff.

The only twenty four hour apothecary sits in a far corner of Diagon Alley away from the hustle and the bustle of big time commerce. Situated in a large wooden room, the store was home to thousands of rare and everyday ingredients. Like the muggle population, witches and wizards alike still argued of the best cure for the common cold but as luck would have it, the Worey Root has been known to treat even the direst of infant fevers. Severus appeared in the hearth. He dusted himself off and headed straight to main desk. The old man at the counter greeted him, asked if William's cold had returned.

"Just a slight fever, but I'd like to have it out of his system before the

relatives get a hold of him." The old man smiled and asked him how much he needed.

"Five ounces please."

"Anything else, lad?"

Severus stopped for a moment.

"You don't buy chance sell Christmas cards do you?"

The old man wheezed out a laugh. "No son, I sure don't, but I do believe that McFeely's right next door does. He's open all the time." Severus paid the man and stepped out into the cold.

"Severus?"

Snape turned on his heels to see a young man in an overcoat. His young handsome face beamed with recognition.

"Holden! How are you? What the bloody Hell are you doing out here?"

"I could ask the same of you."

The two man shook hands and eased comfortably into small talk.

"Well," replied Snape, "William's picking up a fever and Maylin is being struck down with the holiday spirit."

"How's that?"

"Christmas cards, Holden, the woman wants Christmas cards."

"Is this the same women that pulled the fire alarm at a David Bowie concert just so she could sneak backstage?"

Severus smiled, "The same."

"Dear God, man, you domesticated the last living wonder in the West."

"No, she's just happy, I was actually going to buy her a set of cards to make her feel better."

"You're whipped you know that, right?"

" Balls in a jar, but I wouldn't want it any other way."

Holden paused and looked up at his old friend.

"You'd die for her, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would what kind of silly ass question is that?"

"It's not a silly question, Severus."

Holden's voice changed. He spoke slowly, more articulate. He inched in on Snape. "I just think it's lovely how you would do anything for someone. It's quite a feat to say that you would put yourself in some kind of harms way just because of a woman."

Severus inched back. What was going on. "Holden I have to go."

Sensing danger Snape turned back to the apothecary, when suddenly pain

and darkness over took him.

Dark room. Concrete Floor. One small light; a crack beneath a door? Shoulder hurts. _Where am I?_

"May?" Snape's voice felt clouded in dust. Footsteps.

"Maylin is not here, Severus." The voice came from behind. Scratchy yet booming. Footsteps were light. Snape jumped to his feet when he felt the icy grasp on his arm.

Disoriented, he balanced himself and tried to open his eyes.

"Illuminous," said the voice.

The room erupted with flamed torches. The room looked almost ancient. Grey stone walls surrounded him. No windows, one heavy wooden door marked the entrance. He was engulfed by the presence of what must have been fifteen people all shrouded eerily in black. There was no way out.

"Severus?"

Snape turned to the voice behind him. Another figure covered in black, his face and hands hidden.

"What do you want with me?"

"I have a simple proposition for you, young man. You could call it an opportunity of a lifetime."


	25. This Could Be The Last Time Part 2

**What I said in the last chapter...so on and so forth-D**

**This Could be the Last Time: Part 2**

Snape turned to face the rest of the room, no one moved, no one made a sound. "I don't want anything you could offer me. Where am I?"

"Where you are is no matter of consequence. It's who you are with that is important. It is the security that I can offer you that should concern you most."

Snape knew that whatever this was, it was bad. He knew about the uprising of pureblood wizards. The fear they instilled was slowly beginning to make headlines. Snape didn't say a word.

"Times are changing, Severus Snape. Our world, constantly polluted by the blood of outsiders. They abuse us. They make us weak. But ours is a line of power. A line of prestige. It is time to reclaim the world we have lost to these – others."

"You're talking about an ethnic cleansing of all non-pure blood wizards."

"In so many words, I am talking about regaining our control over the entire wizarding world, regaining our rightful place as leaders."

"That's genocide."

"You've been living amongst the muggles too long, Severus. You're father would agree with me."

"My father is dead."

"You're father was a good man."

"My father was terrible man. Obsessive, abusive, he was mad with greed -" "Yes, he was, like I said – a good man. He knew what it meant to be powerful and required respect. Everywhere he went people bowed to him."

"Everywhere he went people feared him."

"Are you not a father yourself now, Severus?"

He didn't answer. For years Snape emulated his father. He was amazed by his stature, his wealth. He believed his father when he spoke of the mudbloods that haunted the Wizarding Society. But Snape was not like his father. While he tried to hate, to belittle, he couldn't. He knew something was wrong. After his disownment, Snape swore to himself he would never become the man father ever was.

The shrouded man returned to the subject at hand.

"I can only assume your silence means 'yes.' In fact, I know it does. Little William has a fever does he? Well there's only one decent cure for that, though I must tell you. It's never a good idea to leave the window open when a child is trying to sleep."

Snape blinked, his face stone cold, they lead him there. They were at his home. "It would be a shame if anything happened to that darling family of yours. Wouldn't you agree, Severus?"

"What do you want?"

The figure stepped closer.

"What I need is a Potions Master. Someone to keep the troops healthy, someone to make sure the dead stay dead." "No." "I thought you'd say that. It's quite unfortunate – Kill them both." The figure whipped his wand into the air and immediately all the figures in the room began to disapparate one by one.

"Where are they going? Kill who? Stop!" The dark figure turned his shrouded face towards Snape. "I think you know who I'm talking about, all of those brains must have come with just a little bit of common sense." Snape's cold eyes turned wide. "I'll make this very simple for you, boy. You serve me, and they live. You tell them nothing and they live. You're wife and son are almost pure blood wizards, they have nothing to fear." The robed figure leaned in and hissed, "I have a habit of making concessions when my own family is involved. That is unless, of course, "Dah dah," makes the wrong decision. You tell them nothing of tonight, you serve me and I let them live."

"How can I trust you?"

"Your father trusted me, which should be enough; after all, I let you and your mother live."

Snape turned away. _Family? Almost pureblood?_ Snape sank deep into his memory; he had heard that voice before. _It can't be. _Maylin, he knew, must have been a pureblood wizard, she was placed into Slytherin, or was she? Either way he knew the figure could not be trusted. He tried to call out to her, warn her, but her mind was blocked, she must have been sleeping. "You cannot reach Maylin through your little mind tricks in here, Severus. You cannot disapparate, or even hold a wand until you have been properly ordained."

"Ordained?"

"Until you wear the mark of the believer, you are all but powerless. You must make your decision now, I will not be able to hold the troops back for long."

Snape's mind raced, his heart sank. Join with evil and your family will live.

"Tick-tock, Severus, time is running out." The shrouded man waved his wand in circular pattern through the air. A mirror like portal appeared. Through the portal he could see his home. The shrouded figures moved slowly, wands drawn, inside his home. "You're protection spells were nothing to keep us out, we are too powerful, I am too powerful." Frozen with fear. Through the portal he heard Maylin scream.

Snape fell on his knees. "I'll do it, just – Please! No!"

The figure turned to Snape. "I'm sorry Severus, what did you say? There was a woman screaming, it was so loud-"

"You bastard, brand me, I don't care, just make them stop!" Within seconds he was desperate. His son cried.

Snape leapt toward the man and pulled him to the floor. He struck him hard through the cloth. "Order them back!" The man's hood fell from his face.

The weathered face of Tom Riddle smiled. "I am Lord Voldemort and you like your father will bow to me." Snape looked up at the portal, they were pulling Maylin from the house, she was still alive.

Snape removed his fists from the man and bowed by his side. A stinging pain paralyzed his arm, it smelled of smoke and blood.

"Fine then, Severus, go to your family. I regret to you the loss of your son, but I think that will be a pleasant reminder of just who exactly is in charge here."

Snape stepped back. "My son?" "Yes, your son. It seems my Death Eaters got a little carried away. But at least it appears your wife is still alive."

Snape turned cold. His eyes, hands, legs, heart, everything turned cold. As he stared into the portal the body of his son lay lifeless on the grass. He looked like a sleeping angel - tiny hands; a Big Bird blanket.

Maylin lay near him. She wasn't moving. Snape whirled at Voldemort. "Let me out of this place."

"And do what? Save her?"

"You promised she would live!"

"And she will."

From his robes Voldemort pulled out a small green bag.

"A half a cup of water mixed with this and she will live. But quickly now, you only have but a few moments. It's too late for William, but you can always make more children."

Snape left the last comment and seethed.

"How do I know this won't kill her?"

"Because Severus, your father made it, for just this occasion."

"Remember our little deal. Keep your mouth shut and I'll keep her alive. Think about it, I'm sure you'll figure why."

Voldemort laughed and with a wave of his wand Snape was home. Standing in the kitchen, holding the bag, he grabbed the water and ran outdoors.

Police Officers tried to detain him. He ran toward his wife and fell by her side.

The men in uniform backed away.

"She's gone, Sir." Snape ignored their drabble he fed her the potion and within only a second she began to breathe. Snape kissed her lightly on the forehead and moved toward his son. Overwhelmed, tired, and empty, Severus Snape fell into the grass and cried. From the corner of a memory Maylin stood and watched. She walked slowly to the fading memory and looked into the distant crying eyes of the man before her. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Her hands melted into the face of the memory. She looked down at her son. She glanced down at herself. She knew what was coming. She didn't need to see any more.

She closed her eyes for only a moment and for a brief second thought the memory had faded. When she looked around however she was sitting at the bar in Knockturn Alley. The lowest of the low shared drinks and stories about things that would make the average person crumble with disgust. She looked over the crowd and picked out at least one person she had already killed.

Holden Chase sat at the bar, next to his old friend Severus Snape. It couldn't have been but a few hours after later in the memory. Holden looked pleased. Severus looked like Hell. He was also drunker then she had ever seen him in his life.

"Why Holden? What the fuck, Holden? What happened to Existential Slytherin? Why the Evil Ra Ra Ra Slytherin? I'm a Beer o'clock Slytherin – I'm a not supposed to be here, Slytherin!"

Holden put an arm around his old friend's shoulder. Severus sat upright and pushed him away. "Fuck you! Get the f-fuck off me." Severus laid his head on the bar. His wedding ring held loosely between his fingers.

Holden rose up from the seat next to him. He bent down and whispered in his ear. "Sometimes we are forced to make decisions that we don't like. Welcome to the tribe. Just think in just a short while we'll be the only ones left. At least you had a choice, most don't. McKagan left, he was the only smart one out of the group, but not to worry, we'll find him and who knows maybe we can all get back together, have bit of party – all the old gang." Holden dropped his empty glass on the table. "You think on that, Sev. I'll see you, mate." Holden upped and left as another figure stood entered the scene.

James Potter walked uncomfortably up to the bar and put a hand on Severus's back. Snape jumped from his seat bleary eyed and confused at the sight of the man next to him. James's expression surprised the voyeur in the corner. He looked, above all things concerned.

"If you want-a kill me, you should aim here," Severus slurred pointing haphazardly at his chest. James sat next to him ordered what ever Snape was having and chimed in. "Severus," he voice was low. "What the hell happened?"

"You're not gonna kill me?"

"No."

"Then leave me the fuck alone."

"Sev, you don't look good, man. I think -"

"You think? You think what? You think I want to be here? You think you...you're gonna help the situation? You think I give a fuck what you think?" Severus slammed his empty glass on the bar and lit a cigarette.

He rested his head in his hands and spoke.

"Is May-? Where's Ma-?"

"She's with us," James replied.

Severus nodded. He braced him self on the bar and sat up right for a moment. He looked at James with a baffled expression that almost made James laugh.

"Why are you here?"

"We were worried about you, we know you too well to know that this isn't you anymore."

Severus nodded amused. "Right, right, you know me." He took a drag. "Then tell me, why do I have this?" Snape put his cigarette in his mouth and pulled up his sleeve to reveal the Dark mark branded on his forearm.

James sat horrified and shook his head.

"You tell me, Severus." Snape inhaled hard and laughed. "I can't! That's the point! Fucking brilliant!"

James cut into Snape's hysterics. "Look, if you need a place to stay."

Snape eyes met his and the laughter stopped.

"If I need a place to stay? James, where the fuck are you gonna go? Do you know where that mark came from?"

"From the Dark Lord He Who-"

"That right from the Dark Lord _Vol-de-mort_. No where you go will be safe. He's gonna kill you all. All the mudbloods and halfbreeds. You name them, they're already dead. You gotta take Lily and Harry and May, Gods please take May, and get out of the fucking country! He doesn't give a shit who you are. You're dead."

"Severus you're hysterical!"

"I'm hysterical? You're not listening! I'm telling you!"

"Keep your voice down!"

Severus looked across the room all eyes focused on him. He raised his glass. "I'm drunk!" he cried and the crowd acknowledged with a cheer and relinquished their stare.

Severus sat back on the barstool and lowered his head. James tried to speak but Snape cut him off with a wave of his hand. He raised his head and spoke as clearly as he could.

"Listen to me, James." Severus pulled out another smoke. "I'm not fucking around and I haven't yet totally lost my mind. I didn't want what happened to happen, but you have to believe me. The Dark Lord is coming. And he's going to destroy everything. Get out of the country if you want you're family to live. Take May with you, or at least make her leave. Something's going to happen to her if she doesn't leave. She can't come back."

"Severus."

"Don't 'Severus' me, listen...you saved my life once and I hated you for it so I'm returning the favor. Hate me if you want but listen to me. Going into hiding won't be enough. His people are everywhere and they're biding their time. You're one their list James, your wife isn't a pure blood, you're son is only half. He will find you and he will kill you."

"You're drunk Severus."

"No shit? Really? Yes, I'm drunk. But please keep in mind that my son is dead. My son – is dead. You want Harry to be next then stay where you are. But William is dead."

James shook his head. "This is insane."

"James, if you're not going to listen to me, then you need to go away. Your arrogance will kill you. You should at least be there with your family to defend them as they die."

Again the memory faded, and Maylin watched as James dropped his money on the bar and left. He never left the country, he told Maylin that maybe she should get a way for a while, but he never left, neither did Lily. And while Harry had managed to live, in the end, Severus was right and James and Lily were dead.


	26. Something In The Way

**I own nothing, I thank those who have been reviewing, and since it mostly one really lovely soul – you get a high five ::high five::. The story is winding to a close and I have no sequel or anything like that in the works yet but if there's something you'd like to see, read, or a character you'd like to know more about, just review and let me know. I have a 9-5 in the DC area and hence a lot of time to think whilst in traffic.. I hope you've all been enjoying reading this, it's been fun to write, there are only 2 chapters left and an epilouge. Have a good one! -D**

**Something in the Way**

It occurred to Maylin quickly as she walked the stairs to Dumbledore's office that she had smoked more in the last two hours than she had in the last two years. It was a special habit that she saved only for visiting family and the American tax season. Climbing the spiral stairs for the first time in a long time seemed like a chore. But, alas, she reached the top. The door opened before she even had the chance to utter the password.

Dumbledore sat behind his radiant desk. To his side, Fawkes the Phoenix cooed softly in her sleep. "Good evening, my dear." Dumbledore motioned for her to take any seat. "Thank you, Albus." She stared around the walls, famous portraits carried on quiet conversations, and the books even seemed to jump out of their spines.

Dumbledore put down his quill and looked caringly at woman across from him. "I trust Severus will be arriving shortly?" Maylin shook her head. "No, actually he received a very important calling. He doesn't know when he'll be back." Albus removed his glasses and stepped from behind his desk. He sat on the edge in front of Maylin and look upon her with old loving eyes.

"Maylin, you speak as if he is never coming back."

Maylin's eyes never budged. "That actually seems to be the message as I understood it – Sir." Maylin's face felt heavy, her eyes drawn to the floor.

Albus bent down next to her.

"I don't mean to be intrusive, and this may be out of line, but, just how close is yours and Severus's relationship? As I recall he was always and undyingly fond of you."

Maylin wrapped her fingers behind her neck and stared at the ceiling. She paused and spoke. "If you're talking about sex, which I know you're not, then that would be almost entirely rude were we not your employees. So yes...I think." She paused again "I love him, you know..."

Maylin wouldn't cry. She wanted to fall apart like a baby. She desperately wanted nothing more than to curl up on her couch in her Manhattan apartment, but escapism was no longer an option.

"I was a fool, Albus." She looked straight into the headmaster's moon glasses. "He tried to save me and everything else he loved, and I sent him away. I tore him apart and then I just waltzed back into his life and tried to pretend that nothing had changed. But I was the one who left him. I fucked up. And now he's out there because of something I created, throwing himself into the lions den." Dumbledore touched the woman's shoulder. "Professor Snape did what he did because he loved you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better? He loved me so I threw him away? I'm a horrible person, Albus, I never stopped once to think about why he did what he did. He never offered an explanation and I always just assumed it was because -" "Because why, dear?" Maylin was weeping. She couldn't help it. "Because of his father. I thought that perhaps underneath it all - his father had won."

Dumbledore wiped the tears from her eyes. "You're not a bad person, Maylin. Your son was dead and it seemed rather cut and dry that your husband abandoned you. You needed time. And since those past events, so has Severus. He's been through Hell and back before. He will return again."

Maylin looked up at Dumbledore. "You promise, Boss?" Dumbledore offered a warm smile. "I will do my best. Now let's dry those eyes before our guests arrive shall we, one of them will require some explaining."

Slumped on the cold dusty floor, Snape has seen better days. Beaded sweat tinted with blood ran down the side of his face. His hair stuck to his skin like glue. He would not talk.

Voldemort stood before him. He looked as if he had returned to full strength but Snape knew this was untrue. Had Voldemort returned to full power the genocide of half-blooded wizards would've already began and ended. He was biding his time looking for the ultimate weapon.

His voice hadn't changed since their first encounter.

"I do apologize Severus for our brutal tactics, but alas, it seems that you can no longer be trusted. I don't want to hurt your darling May; that is what you called her isn't it? But now it seems that I have run out of options. And after all I am in the business of breaking promises, what's one more?"

Snape rose from the floor as best he could. "You can't hurt her, she's too powerful, too well protected, you'll never get to her."

Voldemort smirked haughtily. "I see, and who will save her this time? You? I think not. You see, Maylin has pride. For whatever reason, she loves you. She will come to me."

"Like Hell she will."

"Severus, Severus, you have not only betrayed me but it appears as if you have lost your faith as well."

"What is that supposed to mean." Snape tried turning his head and evaluating the room. It was full of the same shrouded men and women who forced him into this god awful situation to begin with.

"Do you honestly believe that I too would not have spies?"

"I thought I was your spy, you couldn't even give me a chance to clear out my office?"

"Severus, really, as if I would take you back without a second thought? My spy was my second thought, good thing too, hmm? Consider this your two weeks."

"You're very kind," Snape muttered.

"It is rumored that as long as Dumbledore is at Hogwarts then all those within its walls are safe." He paused, his voice ringing in Snape's bloodied ears. "But what if I told you that I had found a way in?"

"I'd say you've lost your mind."

"Hmm, perhaps I have lost my mind, but no matter I have his." Voldemot pointed into the darkness of their surrounders. One stepped forward, he removed his hood.

Even in the dark Snape knew the man.

"Squire, you damnable traitor."

The man once known to his colleagues as 'Professor' squealed an annoying laughter.

"Traitor, eh? The same could be said of you." Squire leaned in closely to Snape. "Spies like us rarely get a break then do we?" Squire stood and faced the room. He extended his arms as if he had just won a large victory.

"There is but one way to penetrate the protections of Hogwarts. All it requires to enter are two Hogwarts professors and a single pass code." The small squeaky man paused. "You, Professor will provide us with that code."

"I'd assume die before helping you anymore."

"You speak as if you have a choice. No, Professor we won't kill you just yet.

However, it doesn't mean we can't mess you up a bit now does it?"

Several followers in robes restrained Snape to the floor. He fought their grasp but was too weak. Another figure swept in from behind the Dark Lord and struck Snape swiftly with his cane. Woozy and drained, Snape looked up at his assailant. Lucius Malfoy.

Voldemort bent only slightly before his captive. "You might remember this," said Voldemort revealing a small translucent vial from his robes. "After all," he continued, "it was one of your first and few creations for me all those years ago."

Snape recognized the vial.

_Truth Serum. Shit._

Voldemort moved silent through the room.

"I need that code Severus. I have penetrated the mind of that little rat Potter. He doesn't have what I need. My creatures while able to cross Hogwart's lines were less than effective. So now, I need you. You will bring me your darling May, that is what you call her isn't it? I will find out the information I need and then maybe, I will let you both live."

"Fuck you."

The cane pounded him from the other side. Snape spit blood onto Malfoy's robes. The cane rose again.

"No!" Voldemort interjected. "We do need him alive, for now." He sniffed in hard through his snake slit nose. "Besides, we have quite the journey ahead of us."


	27. Only Time

**It's a dreary day in the nation's capitol, but that's ok. I hope you all are enjoying this- Also, for all of you rock n roll folks do yourself a favor and pick up the new Muse album "Absolution" I think should I write another story it wil be loosely based on this work of art. Again, I don't own nothing...on with the evening -D**

**Only Time**

Only two members of the Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix arrived to the office. Mad Eye Moody sat across the room from Maylin. Haggard and suspicious, he glared at her. Maylin sat curled into one of the headmaster's book shelves, knees to her chest, she felt invaded by Moody's presence.

To her left sat Sirius Black. Aged beyond his years, Sirius had spent most of his adult life on the run. Even tonight he risked terrible danger. For Maylin seeing Black was strange at best. Dumbledore had explained to her his innocence and while it was difficult to accept, she did not argue with the old man. Sirius was, after all, Harry's godfather. Besides, he'd already apologized sincerely years ago for an incident that had put him literally in the dog house with her years ago. She forgave him, why not forgive a little more?

The small group talked for awhile, sharing plans, reports, and damning the Ministry for their lacking efforts to protect the magical population. Since the documented return of Voldemort, the Ministry had denied any such occurrence. Sirius Black was still on the run and the Order was convinced that Voldemort was in at least partial control of the Ministry's actions.

"I think you're all over-reacting," chimed in Maylin after a long silence. The room ended their discussion and turned to their attention to the woman in the corner. "Without a doubt there is a bug in the Ministry's ear. But, there always has been." Sirius perked his head. "Lucius Malfoy?"

Maylin agreed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he had even more of an influence now, given the circumstances."

"Manipulation Spell?"

"Perhaps, Sirius, it's not like Voldemort hasn't used them in the past."

"Well then lassie, how do you intend we fight that?" Moody's gruff voice filled with frustration.

"We don't." Moody's eye sized her up.

Maylin rose to the floor. "They're a bunch of politicians over there, helpless gits beckoning to the call of money and power. No, we go after Voldemort. We wipe him clean from the picture and then Ministry's defenses will fall."

"Now yer talkin my language kid." Moody raised his wand, Maylin relaxed a bit. She knew she was with the right crowd who'd appreciate a good dog fight.

Dumbledore raised a finger.

"So then dear what about this spell plot of yours, how does that play into Voldemort's plans?"

Maylin sat gingerly on Dumbledore's desk.

"It's simple really, Voldemort is looking for the ultimate weapon."

The Order closed in.

"Imagine it," Maylin continued. "An army of Death Eaters with little scars on their heads returning curses back to their senders. They'd be unstoppable. One redirected curse could make Voldemort invincible."

"If that's the case Lynnie, then why not give the spell to us. Let us run around with scars on our heads so that we can beat this git?"

"Because Sirius, the spell I created didn't work. Voldemort doesn't know that James and Lilly also had the spell. They died. I missed something and Harry still survived."

Dumbledore leaned in. "How exactly did you give Harry the spell my dear?"

Maylin thought for a moment. In truth she really had no idea. She had held the child in her arms, placed her hand on his sleeping forehead and spoke her forbidden words. She had done the same for Harry's parents.

Maylin's confused eyes circled the room.

"I guess I just blessed him."

Sirius laughed. "Part of your Jesus complex?"

Maylin smiled back. She shook her head. "I guess so."

Moody tapped his wand on the desk. "So what you're saying is that even if ole Voldie had the spell it might not necessarily work?"

Maylin nodded. "But," she continued, "that doesn't mean he won't stop at anything to get it."

Dumbledore looked weary. "I guess that means we must tighten our security of Potter."

"That won't be needed."

"What do you suggest, Lynnie? We just send our god son out into the wilderness?"

"No Sirius, I told Harry everything."

The room stopped.

"You did what?" Sirius stood in front of Maylin. His old eyes tried to catch her gaze. Maylin looked up at him. "Sirius, he asked me if I knew his mother. He had this crazy dream. In his dream I said the spell. He doesn't know it, only that I have it."

"But Maylin," interrupted Dumbledore. "Voldemort has been using Harry mind against him. Professor Snape has been giving him Occlumency lessons to control his dreams." Maylin shook her hand at the Headmaster. "Yes, I know, but, Harry obviously isn't very good at hiding his thoughts, so I'm having Harry send Voldemort to me."

Dumbledore sat back in his chair.

"Do you think that's wise, child?"

Maylin leaned over his desk and looked the old man straight in the eye. "I'd rather have Voldemort come after me than fifteen year innocent old boy."

Sirius stood behind Maylin, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "What about Snape?"

Maylin whirled to face him. "What about him?" said Maylin firmly.

Sirius stepped to face her. "You say he was called by Voldemort over, what? Six hours ago? Do you honestly think Voldemort isn't going to try to use Snape against you?"

"So what if he does?"

"After everything he put you through do you think you'll be able to handle it?"

Behind her blue eyes there was a fury of emotion.

"Sirius Black you have no idea what Severus means to me. Voldemort isn't going force me to push him away again. Do even begin to think you know me."

Sirius stood his ground firmly.

"Maylin Hunter don't believe for a second that I'm going to let you take on the Dark Lord because you made a bad relationship decision. I don't like the bastard, but I know Snape well enough to know that if something ever happened to you he'd just assume drown himself."

Maylin blinked.

_Sirius.-___

_Maylin...?_

"Maylin?" He said aloud.

Maylin's body turned away from him. A presence filled her mind. Dark presence. A dying presence. Her heart began to beat faster. Her head slowly spun. Maylin reached out her hands as this dizziness engulfed her.

Sirius grabbed her arm. Dumbledore stood from his desk. Moody surveyed the woman eyes. He felt it too.

Maylin regained her composure. "They're here."

"Who's here, Lynnie?"

Maylin stood upright and breathed deep.

"Voldemort's here," she closed her eyes. "They have Severus."


	28. Ashes to Ashes

**This is it. It's been fun, perhaps I'll write more, I dunno. Anyway, I hope you have all enjoyed the story. You're a great audience. -D  
**

**  
Ashes to Ashes**

Dumbledore stayed behind to assemble the Order. Maylin, Moody, and Black raced from the office. Down the spiral steps, around the statue and through the halls of Hogwarts. Maylin body shook from the inside. Thoughts and memories poured in like an ocean she couldn't control. The Ministry had trained her to kill. Working as a diplomat for the American Ministy was an easy cover for professional destruction. But now she was home. The stakes had risen. Maylin was at a loss. The two men by her side kept pace. They too feared the outcome of the unavoidable situation; however no one can exactly plan for the day they die. _Today is as good as any other,_ thought Black.

Maylin stopped them for a second to catch their breaths.

"Damn this place is big." Moody's eye seemed to be as tired as he was. The three huddled for a moment, wands drawn. "So Lynnie, how should we play this out?"

"Honestly Sirius, I just assume find Voldemort and rip his goddamed head off."

Sirius smiled, "Yes, but I'm sure that besides Snape, who could be dead for all we know -"

"He's not." Maylin's eyes met Sirius's. What were once a passionate blue had become a pale hue of worry. For the first time in his life, Sirius saw that Maylin was afraid.

He touched her chin. "He's not dead, Lynnie, I apologize."

Maylin stared back, her voice quiet. "Okay."

"Anyway," Sirius continued. "Besides Snape, Voldemort could have any number of Death Eaters with him. Where ever he is. Any sudden action would end in immediate annihilation of either Moody, myself, or Snape."

"But not me." Maylin's gaze returned to the floor.

"No, not you. He needs you alive."

"Dear God," speechless and overwhelmed, Maylin played the scenario over and over in her head. No matter how it crossed her mind, the conflict was going to be anything but clean.

She looked at Moody and Black. Her voice picking up in urgency – they were being watched.

"How long until the Order assembles?"

Moody chimed in, "It could be anytime, Lupin is on constant alert, but getting to Hogwarts is a pain in the-"

"Ahem!" Interrupted a voice. The three turned to see a small squeaky balding man in a black robe. Maylin raised her gun to the man's head. "What do you want?"

"No need for violence Ms. Hunter, My Lord simply -"

Before the words escaped his mouth Maylin's silver bullet shot straight to his left leg. The squeaky man yelped and fell to one knee. The man cried in pain and surprise. "You shot me?" he whispered to no one.

"Who are you?" Maylin stepped closer, the gun tight in her hand. The man grasped his leg tightly and tried to raise his wand. With one swipe of his hand Black summoned the wand from the bleeding man's hold. Trembling he spoke.

"Squire, Clive Squire."

"You're the professor I was sent here to replace?"

Nodding furiously the squeaky man complied. Moody stepped up.

"And you joined the forces of the Dark Lord?" he asked gruffly.

The man continued to nod.

Moody shrugged, Maylin nodded in agreement and shot the man through the right leg. Maylin lowered her legs to the floor. She grabbed Squire by the collar and pulled him close. With the other hand she secured the cold gun to the side of his face.

Her voice was rich and articulate, her eyes had regained their tint of fire. This man was to be judged.

"Do you swear allegiance unto the Dark Lord known as Voldemort, and should you swear allegiance to him, do you hold yourself responsible for the actions completed under his service that include but are not limited to, trespassing, treason, and murder?"

The small man hissed. "Yes."

Maylin moved closer, the gun tighter.

"Where's my husband?" she hissed cooly in return.

"On the roof."

Maylin let go of Squire's collar and dropped him to the floor. She raised her gun once again. Blood, brain and skull spewed onto the concrete floors. Dumbledore would yell, but, as always, there were more important things to worry about now.

As the gunshots rang throughout the building Harry Potter once again found himself sneaking about the school under the guise of his invisibility cloak. Moments ago is scar began to burn to the point of paralysis. Harry fought the overwhelming urge to scream by tying his shoes and sneaking past the professors on watch. Silently and mindfully he turned corners and moved closer to where it sounded like the shot came from. If Professor Hunter knew he was out and about, she would most certainly have his head.

Across the school another student snuck behind the back of his panicky prefect and made his way through the school halls.

Slithering atop the cold slick floors Draco Malfoy knew something was up. He knew those shots belonged to Professor Hunter, he didn't want to miss a thing. As he made his way to the next hall he tripped over what appeared to be nothing at all and fell shoulder first into the solid rock floor. He cursed under his breath and knew instantly it was Potter. Harry stopped for a moment to laugh under his breath but better judgment forced his hand out of the cloak. "C'mon," he whispered.

Draco looked quickly left than right before slipping under the confines of the cloak. "What's going on here, Potter!?" Draco hushly demanded. "Those were bloody gunshots!"

Harry pointed to his scar. "It's burning, I think Voldemort has found a way in."

Standing above Squire's body, Maylin's chest heaved and her trigger finger twitched slightly. A bead of sweat appeared on the side of her face and crept slowly toward her chin. She glared at the dead man. No thoughts crossed her mind. She was ready to move. Sirius Black reached for her arm but instead she turned and faced him head on. "We have to keep moving. You were right, Voldemort is not alone." Sirius nodded. "Should we wait for the rest of the Order?"

Maylin reloaded her clip. "Why? Voldemort wants me, not the Order. What's the Order going to do? Talk him to death?"

"The lady has a magnificent point," added Moody. His eye changed its gaze to Maylin's gun. "Are you even going to use your wand?" Maylin cocked her head. Her voice a solid monotone. "I'll only break that out if I need to cause some serious damage."

"Is this what you learned from the Ministry doing public relations?" Maylin glared at Moody through serious slit eyes. "Not public relations," she said snapping her gun into place. "Population control." Maylin raise an eyebrow, turned and continued her way down the hall. For a moment Moody and Black stood behind, Moody's voice thick with confusion. "She's married to Severus Snape?"

Sirius nodded before taking off running behind her.

"Huh," thought Moody as he hobbled behind Sirius, "that lucky bastard."

As they made their way to their final destination, word of Voldemort's presence reached the Order. Remus Lupin and the Order of the Phoenix were finally on their way.

There was but one known entrance to the roof of Hogwarts. On this evening the door way to the stairs was blocked by twenty Death Eaters, wands drawn.

The three wizards stopped dead in their tracks. "Only the woman may pass," a voice howled. Maylin looked to the men by her side. _I don't have a choice._

The two men nodded. "They're going to kill us, you know. After you leave us and go up those stairs, we're as good as done for." Sirius's voice was only half kidding. Maylin took his hand for a moment and kissed his cheek. She did the same for Moody. "The Order is on their way. You won't have to hold them off long." Sirius smiled. "Dog fight it is then?" "Damn right, if they're going to try to send you back to Azkaban, then there had better be a damn good reason." Maylin winked and turned to face the squad before her. She re-holstered her gun. "Leave your weapons."

"That's not fair!" Maylin shot back. Maylin listened to herself for a brief moment and rolled her eyes before removing her weapons and throwing them to the side of the hall. "I should've known this wasn't going to be a fair fight," remarked Maylin as she turned behind her to a seemingly empty space. _Make yourselves useful boys, I'll leave the door open. Make it hasty then get the hell out of here._

From the far corner of the room Harry and Draco eyed the thrown weapons. "Can we even get around them?" wondered Harry quietly to his fellow student. Draco nodded. "I think once she goes through those doors all hell will break loose. What the bloody hell is Sirius Black doing here?" Harry shook his head, "Long story," he replied. Draco nodded, "Fair enough, when it starts we make a run for it."

Maylin walked confidently towards the doorway. The Death Eaters parted a way for her as her hand pulled the door open and closed it shut. The screams and cries of magic erupted the moment the door had closed. They will be safe she though to herself, she could feel that the Order was close. Before ascending the steps she turned the door knob behind her. The door cracked open. _Haste boys, haste._

The ascending stairs twisted into the frigid night. A cold eeriness crept beneath her skin and sunk heavily into her heart. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to be strong or fierce. She didn't want the worry, let alone the 'what if.' She knew what lay beyond the outer door; she had no choice but open it. She clenched her fists and pushed her way into the darkness.

The Death Eaters surrounded Black and Moody. "You will go nowhere." "Nowhere." "Nowhere." "Nowhere." The voices echoed. "Perhaps you will die?" "Will die?" "Will die?" Moody and Black moved closely together as the crowd swarmed in upon them. Wands drawn and ready, the two members of the Order crouched low. Black smiled with almost sick anticipation, _today is a good day. _

As the Death Eaters lunged toward the men, Harry and Draco took off for the pile left by the wall side. Harry drew his wand as Draco nabbed the stuff. They shuffled around the crowd and slipped quickly and quietly up the stairs. Staying under the cloak they wormed their way upwards and stood momentarily behind the door to the roof. Harry touched his scar. It burned furiously. Harry winced as Draco pushed open the door. Draco's mouth opened wide. His heart pounded. He curled his fingers around the knife on the ground. His eyes opened. He had chosen his side.

Maylin stood before them. Her hair whipped wildly in the bitter wind and snow. Her hands outstretched to the man barely outside of her grasp. Blood ran freely down the side of his face. His hands bound to his back, he lifted his head slowly. His bruised body contorted painfully under the strain of the spell that bound him. He couldn't move. His eyes rose heavily. He wanted to touch her, but she was just too far away. "M'lyn?" She moved towards him and touched him softly on the face. Blood ran down her fingers. She bit her lip and moved closer. Snape knew the only reason Voldemort had placed him before Maylin was because now Voldemort would force her to make a decision. The spell or Snape. But there was really only one thing on Snape's mind. He coughed hard, trying to speak. "Did you get – get, my mess -my message." He drew in hard to breathe, air burned, the blood stung.

"Severus," she whispered. "No," he shook his head haphazardly against the will of the spell. "No, May, my – my, mess-" "Yes!" she cried then bowed her head to his, "Yes," she whispered again. "Severus, why didn't you just tell me?" He pulled in the crisp air through his broken crimson nose. "You, were too – important." He looked at her and tried to smile. "I never stopped. Never stopped loving you. I'll die here – loving you." He placed his forehead against hers. Maylin closed her eyes and pulled him close.

She muttered something beneath her breath then kissed him gently on the lips. "What? What was that?" Maylin looked into his dark and fading eyes. _I love you._

The bitter wind blew harder as Snape's body drifted away from her to reveal the two figures standing just outside of the roof's darkness. Lucius Malfoy snickered loudly as he used his wand to pull Snape from the doorway. "It's a shame, Maylin," He gloated over the wind. "He really did love you." Maylin changed her glare. "And you!" she yelled at the silent figure. "What's your game, Riddle?" The figure stood silent against the cold of the night. "Answer me you, Bastard!" Voldemort pulled his wand from within his robes and pointed it at Maylin. His voice cracked and hissed. "I want that spell, Ms. Hunter. I want back what you've taken from me." Maylin stepped forward.

"You're an arrogant fool for thinking that you could wield a spell as powerful as that."

"So be it." Voldemort pointed to Snape who was lying in the snow. Lucius nodded. Maylin knew this was their game. She placed her hand behind her back and motioned to the boys. _Wand._Harry snuck her the wand and quickly glanced at Malfoy. His skin had turned sallow. Draco glared at the man he called father. Maylin pulled her wand from behind her back but before the words even escaped her mind she was thrown back into the door. Her head slammed into the solid wood. A smooth warmth trickled down to her back. Voldemort held her with a strength she had never experienced. Her mind raced. She needed a strong counter spell and she needed one fast. "Lucius," Voldemort called back to the man behind him. "Why don't we show Ms. Hunter here why we don't comply with insolence. And -" he paused, "show her the old fashioned way." Lucius smiled and pulled from behind his back a large cane. He held the cane with both hands and drew from it a thin sword. He raised it high in the air and then sharply into Snape's gut as Maylin shouted her counter curse.

From within the cloak Draco burst into the open and without second thought plunged Maylin's dagger into his own father. Voldemort's gaze faltered, Maylin's curse threw him backward. Lucius fell to the ground. His eyes blazed with fury, Draco's with betrayal. Maylin fell to her knees then upped and lunged toward Draco. But it was too late. With one wave of Voldemort's wand Draco body flew from the roof and off into the

darkness below. Maylin yelled out to him. She scurried in a panic to the side of the roof. She saw nothing below but a pool of darkness. Then a voice came through. _We have him Lynnie. _It was Lupin. The Order had arrived.

_We're on our way up. _

_No, Remus, get to the top floor landing, Black and Moody need back-up. _

_But, Lynnie-_

_I'll send down Potter! Go!_

She turned from the edge and caught a quick glimpse of the door opening and closing, Potter had already gone downstairs. _Good boy._ Her wand lay shattered in the snow under where she had fallen. Her gun was missing. She was back to square one. She rose to her feet and stared hard at the figure before her. Lucius lay by his side gasping, dying. Snape didn't move. She called to his mind.

_Busy._ He replied.

Maylin smiled brokenly to herself. The belly wound would take hours to kill him, but the stress would soon throw him into shock.

Voldemort raised Maylin's gun to her head. His voice scraped over the howling winds.

"I had such hopes for you."

The crack of the bullet shattered the cry of the wind and split through

Maylin's shoulder. Warm blood iced over her arm. She fell to her knees.

"You're aim is terrible," she hissed ignoring the sharp pain.

"If I had wanted you dead, I would've done so many years ago. I tried to teach you not to fear."

"I don't fear you, you fucking bastard." Maylin's voice cut the freezing cold.

The gun went off again, her thigh winced with the bullet's entry.

The pain was making it difficult to focus.

"Snape and I had a deal, and for once I didn't break my promise. What would have been the point? I had always intended to keep you alive hoping that one day you would see the light within the darkness. But no, you were always too much like her."

"Don't do this to me."

Voldemort paused and stepped closer. Her bent down and whispered through his hood. "You are still weak, just like your mother."

Maylin's eyes widened as for the first time she looked at the creature face to face.

_I'm so fucked._

He had pulled the hood back from his head and glared at her with eyes she recognized. Pale but powerful eyes. Passionate dangerous eyes. Her eyes.

Maylin looked down into the red snow below her. She couldn't feel the pain in her shoulder or head. Unarmed and helpless, for the first time in a long time, Maylin was terrified. _No._

"Yes," Voldemort declared aloud. "I killed your mother this way. She too couldn't handle the power I had so graciously placed in her grasp. She ran. I followed, but I let you live. Always hoping that at some point you would realize your potential and stand by my side. Like father, like daughter, I told myself."

Maylin's mind flooded. She looked to Snape. He was fighting to stand but soon it would be too late. He crawled helplessly through the snow, a trail of blood in his wake.

"But," Voldemort continued, "It seems only too clear that you have made your decision, if I cannot have that spell of yours and you will not partake in my reign; then have no choice but you end you here. At least I can tell myself I tried."

Like a dream, Maylin's world slowed to a crawl of time. Her eyes open, her mind unlocked, she saw the end before her and knew in an instant it would all be over soon. Voldemort raised his wand. The wind swept across the roof in a bitter gust of pain and hopelessness. In the distance she heard the words of judgment cut through snow and ice. The green blaze illuminated from the Dark Wizard's hand and wrapped around his wand. It swelled and spiraled from Voldemort's hand and into the space between. Maylin screamed and like a leaf in the storm was thrown back into the hard ice below.

But the curse never touched her. An unknown dead weight lay heavily on her body. She raised her good hand and ran her fingers through Severus Snape's bloodied matted hair.

She opened her eyes. What looked like steam floated from the pointed of the curse's contact. His eyes were closed his arm twisted underneath her back. She touched his face. He was still breathing. Maylin shook the confusion and pain from her body and with her good arm pushed Snape off of her and laid him as best she could in the snow. He moaned wearily and curled into a ball around his wound. Maylin bent over him kissed his cheek and as quickly as she could turned again to face her enemy.

She looked out over the roof but he no longer stood. She tried to find his mind but it too was lost. She took a weak step forward and under her foot heard the crack of wood. She looked down and stepped back. Face up in the snow clutching his wand laid Voldemort. His colorless eyes stared toward the heavens, his mouth agape but silent. He laid there petrified and dead. The green blaze of the curse had sunken into his skin and into his soul once and for all. Maylin breathed deep and bent down to pick up her gun that laid by the dead wizard's side. She gained her balance, and just for good measure, she raised the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. She then turned and threw the gun somewhere to the side of the roof and fell on her knees next to Snape.

She cupped his head in her lap and bent over to touch his face. His eyes opened slowly. For a moment, he smiled. "Are you – you, n-not...dead?"

Maylin half shook her aching head. "No, love, not dead." Snape blinked slowly. "Is evr'ythin – all...alright?"

Maylin looked down into his dark eyes and gently pushed back the hair from his forehead. She bit her icy lip and with one finger softly traced the lighting scar on his forehead. "Yes, love," she said quietly, "Everything is going to be alright." Snape acknowledged with a faint nod then slipped back into unconsciousness.

Maylin smiled as she held him close and listened to the members of the Order as they made their way up the stairs.


	29. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Two Years Later**

_Dear Albus,_

_I never thought I would ever again experience the genuine feeling of normalcy. The comfort of waking up in the morning to a world where I no longer have to pretend that one day everything would simply and delicately fall into place. But then again, what could be more curious in my life than a lifetime of pure content? What could be stranger to me than willingly sitting drinking coffee on a Saturday morning and writing a Christmas card?_

_Well, Albus, it is Saturday morning, my coffee is hot and I am in fact writing my first Christmas card. It's beautiful out here. The snow is no less than a foot thick which is delightful because Jacob is not more than two and a half feet tall. He's out there now with Draco. I'm thankful we took him in after his sixth year. We couldn't let him go back to that family, to that kind of world._

_Jacob is walking now, well – he is, at least, trying.__ I had nearly forgotten what it was like watching them grow up. It's absolutely fascinating the way their world expands – everyday something new. Everyday he'll point to something as mundane as a tree and smile as if it is the world's greatest creation. _

_We were originally worried about having another child. Before we even had William, we joked about how we never wanted kids in the house after we had each turned fifty. But truthfully, it's lovely. Jacob will never replace what we lost, but he has reminded about what we loved. He is such a gift. And he will be out of this house before we are sixty. _

_Draco is coming along greater than I had anticipated given the circumstances. I think having Jacob around has helped him begin to put things besides his own life into perspective. A few nights ago he was actually, I swear to you, helping with the dishes when he turned to Maylin and called her "mum." The look on her face was priceless to say the least. She dropped her chore and held him as if he was her own son. Since Lucius's death his birth mother has refused to see, let alone speak to the boy. Maylin swore to take back every nasty thought she ever had about him. I guess they both just had a bit of growing up to do. _

_As Draco finishes up his seventh year, he tells me he's interested in pursuing medicine. I'm proud to say that my own endeavors have prospered so favorably I feel I might be able to provide him with some real guidance. I'm back again working with the same pharmaceutical company as before, the one infusing potion mastery with modern muggle medicine. It's mind boggling the way the two worlds just melt together. Maylin says I should try to find the missing link between potions and chicken soup. Then and only then will we finally be able to cure the common cold._

_And Maylin? God I love that woman. She still manages to shine like every star in my night sky. She's reading right now on the couch across from me. Every once in a while she looks up and smiles. She says everything she needs to with her eyes. She was summoned not to long ago by the Ministry. They wanted her back for more "diplomatic consulting." She, of course, politely declined the offer saying there were all a bunch of bullshit twat sucking wankers. I'm so proud of her._

_About a month ago a publishing company got a hold of her and offered her the opportunity to write her own textbook series. She wants to call the first one "A First Year's Guide for Fending Off Faeries, The first in a series you'll only live to regret." It's a rather long title but I think in the end she'll win out._

_I hope this letter finds you well. I think of you often and and will never forget your undying respect and faith in me. Give my regards to the entire staff and if you should happen to find yourself in the area, never hesitate to simply drop in._

_Merry Christmas Albus._

_-Severus Snape_


End file.
